Past Problems Future Troubles
by Hero McAllen
Summary: After being sent back to his original time and living out the seven years that he's missed, at 18 Link finds himself on the verge of another adventure. But what if the purpose of this task leads to changing a young woman's life forever? No romance. Part 1
1. Strange Happenings

1 Disclaimer: Short and sweet…obviously I own none of the Zelda characters. I do owe mine, but eventually there will be to many to list…so…that's it! (  
  
2  
  
3 Past Problems Future Troubles  
  
4 Chapter One: Strange Happenings  
  
"She will be the one to save us..."  
  
"Save us? Save us from what?"  
  
"Only she has the power…"  
  
"I don't understand! What are you trying to tell me?"  
  
5 "Only she…can save you…"  
  
Link jerked forward, still with the strange images from his dream dancing in his head. He inhaled a long cool breath to calm his nerves. Kokiri was quiet and peaceful that night, but of course it always was he thought as he gazed out his open door. He couldn't tell what time it was exactly, he could only guess by the placement of the moon. He knew it was late. Link got out of his bed and walked outside.  
  
"Only she can save me…" He repeated the vague words from his dream. "Save me from what?"  
  
The dream was so vivid, so real. Familiar voices echoed around a strange room he had never been in before, and yet he knew it. The chamber was lit with brilliant lights, yet no torches or fires could be found. He was standing on what seemed to be a floor, and yet it was transparent, save for where he was standing. He felt warm and disoriented and was calling out to the voices.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want of me?!"  
  
The voices answer, sometimes as one, sometimes as many.  
  
"She is coming…"  
  
"Who is coming?!" He shouts to be heard over them.  
  
"The keeper, the one chosen power."  
  
"Power? What power?"  
  
"She will be the one to save us..."  
  
"Save us? Save us from what?"  
  
"Only she has the power…"  
  
"I don't understand! What are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"Only she…can save you …"  
  
Then all of the light in the room combined into one dazzling pulse of white light. In the center, a lone silhouette, and then it ended.  
  
Link thought to himself that maybe it was just a dream, and nothing to be taken too seriously. But the Hero of Time learned along time ago that everything had a purpose in its own way. No matter how small or simple, it should not be overlooked because it could be the key to the puzzle. Link sat down on his balcony and pulled out his ocarina, his first ocarina. He gently ran his fingers over the smooth surface of his instrument, and while doing so he thought of Saria. He wasn't sure if anyone knew how much he missed his childhood friend. Talking to her was one thing, he wanted to see her. And now that Zelda and the rest of the Sages were gone in the sacred realm, having Rauru teach them things that Link had no idea what, he was kind of lonely. Link put the ocarina up to his lips and let out a long sorrowful note that began the Song of Time. When he had finished he just sat and listened. It had been along time since he had just stopped, stopped everything he was doing and sat in the moment. A soft quiet moo from below broke his trance, Io, his cow, must have been wakened by his movements. He climbed down the ladder to her pen on the forest floor and fed her some grass that was growing wildly around.  
  
"There there Io," Link gently soothed as he stoked her and scratched behind her ears. "It's fine, go back to sleep, that's where I'm heading."  
  
After she was calm, Link headed up the ladder and crawled into bed, hoping not to be bothered by anymore strange dreams and get a good night sleep for once.  
  
***  
  
As Link had hoped, mysterious visions, or anything else for that matter hadn't pursued his sleep. He awoke with a big yawn and stretch, and lay in bed for a few moments just staring at the ceiling. The sun was shining all over the forest and most of the Kokiri children were up already. Kaya was passing by as Link came down the steps.  
  
"Morning Link!" She said smiling as she walked off in the opposite direction.  
  
Link did admit it had to be a little strange sounding for someone to be told he lived with children that would never grow up. But this was his home, he was raised here. And even if he was a Hylian, he planned to stay, now that the Evil King had been vanquished and Link's story known. His story… Link mused. Most of what people knew about it were fanciful and exaggerated stories that old men would tell around the fire to their children and grandchildren to help them to sleep.  
  
"Did you sleep well Navi?" Link asked his fairy companion.  
  
"Fine, thank you for asking," she replied.  
  
He stopped in his tracks and looked up at Navi.  
  
"Navi? Did you by any chance have a strange dream last night? Or pick up on any strange feelings? Anything?"  
  
"No, why do you ask Link? Did you?" She implied curiously.  
  
"Maybe," was all he said before continuing.  
  
"Link you're not telling me something," Navi said.  
  
"It was nothing, really," he assured her. Navi gave him a suspicious look and he smiled in return. They continued their walk.  
  
Normally, Link would not be out and about this early, but he had promised Malon that he would stop by for breakfast. So with that, he and Navi briskly strode out of the forest and onto Lon Lon Ranch. 


	2. Getting Reacquainted with Old Friends

Chapter Two: Getting Reacquainted with Old Friends  
  
Link could smell something good as he walked up the entrance toward the house; it smelt like biscuits and eggs. It had been along time since he had a good home cooked meal. Living by himself (well almost) he guessed, made him never really have a reason to cook something. He knocked on the door and heard Malon yell to come in. Link slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Malon was just putting the finishing touches on the table; she stood back to admire her work.  
  
"Good morning Link!" She smiled as she gave him a friendly hug. "Breakfast is ready, I just have to go wake up my dad, have a seat."  
  
Link sat down and looked over all the food that was placed in front of him. There were eggs and biscuits like he had hoped, but with that there were strips of bacon, muffins with Deeta berries in them, fruit, and to top it off, a pitcher of Lon Lon milk. Malon really out did herself he thought, she must have been cooking for hours! After a few moments, Talon and Malon came down stairs and Malon brought Ingo, who preferred to eat outside, his breakfast. When she came back they sat down to eat.  
  
"Malon, darling, this meal is fit for the king of Hyrule!" He praised with his loud and booming voice, and then quietly added, "Your mother would be proud," Malon blushed and looked at the floor.  
  
"Do you approve Link?" She said raising her head.  
  
"Oh, uh, yes of course," the question caught him off guard.  
  
"Good," she smiled.  
  
"Well my boy! We haven't seen much of you around lately have we Malon?" Talon laughed out loud.  
  
"No we haven't," was Malon's simple reply.  
  
"You know my offer still stands if you want to come and work here young man," Talon voiced heartily. "You were a quick boy with those Cuccoos and I'm sure now that your grown you'd be twice as helpful around here!"  
  
"Dad, don't talk of such things at the table!" Malon laughed as she heaved some more eggs onto her father's plate. "Link is our guest and I won't have you discussing business matters right now thank you," Link popped another muffin into his mouth.  
  
"I'm OK for now Talon, but you and Malon should know if you ever need any kind of assistance I would be glad to help," Link said.  
  
"That is a very kind offer Link, thank you," Malon told him and started a new subject. "I can tell Epona misses you Link, you haven't been to ride her in a few days, she looks terribly lonesome," she smiles.  
  
"I know, I know. Actually, I haven't had time to leave the forest to often lately," was his reply. "The Deku Sprout needs attending and I always seem to have some kind of chores to do now a days. But I'm glad I took the time to come visit you, it has been a long time since I had a good cooked meal."  
  
"You know you can stop by anytime Link," Malon returned, "there is always extra for you." She starts to laugh to herself.  
  
"What?" Link said between chews.  
  
"Just the thought of the Hero of Time doing chores like picking up Io's…" she couldn't think of a polite way to put it which made her laugh harder, "...leftovers." Malon couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing. Link blushed slightly and put down his fork and gave Malon a silly look and started to laugh to. Then came in Talon's roaring laughter followed by the petite Navi giggle. Link had missed times like these.  
  
  
  
Link thanked Malon and her father for their kindness and Malon told him to come back soon which he promised to do. It was late morning when Link left the ranch, the sun was shinning and the Atler birds were singing sweetly. He briskly strode off in the direction of Kokiri Forest, his mind thinking of nothing in particular. About halfway from his destination he stopped and stood in one place for a few moments. He then, with no forward warning to his next actions, pulled out his ocarina and played Epona's Song.  
  
"What are you doing?" Navi interrogated as she flitted fitfully around Link's head. He gave no response. Epona came racing out of Lon Lon Ranch and over the hills of Hyrule Field flying. She halted before Link and gave a joyful whinny; he mounted. And they were off like that! They dashed out into the open field and just flew! Link didn't really know where he wanted to go, he just wanted to get somewhere. Epona on the other hand, seemed to make the decision for him because it was not long before she hurtled over the two gates and through the entrance to Lake Hylia.  
  
Epona stopped at the shore and started to nibble on some grass. Link looked around and dismounted. The lake looked the same as when he was a child, clear, blue, and calm. He patted Epona on her neck, took a few steps, and sat down.  
  
"What are we doing here Link?" Navi asked with some worry in her voice.  
  
"I don't know," He looks up at her and smiles "can't a guy be spontaneous?"  
  
"Err, I guess so…" Came her short reply. They were silent for a moment.  
  
"Navi," Link hesitates. "Navi, I did have a dream last night." She looks at him puzzled.  
  
"Everyone has dreams Link," she stated.  
  
"Not like this one Navi, this wasn't your every night dream. There were voices, many voices, sometimes one alone and sometimes several talking as one, they were telling me something." Navi lands on Link's bent knee. "I didn't understand what they were trying to tell me, they just kept repeating 'She is coming… Only she has the power to save you…'" He sighed heavily. "I asked them 'save me from what?' but they didn't answer me."  
  
"Hmm…" Was Navi's only answering.  
  
"It was so real Navi," Link continued, "I don't know what to make of it."  
  
"I don't know what to tell you Link."  
  
"Neither do I," he moaned.  
  
Link lied down on the soft grass and dosed off without knowing it. 


	3. The First Step

Chapter Three: The First Step  
  
It had been several days since Link's strange and curious dream. He had thought of what it had said over and over again, but couldn't make any sense of it. He had not had any unusual dreams over the past few days and nothing seemed to be out of place. What really worried him though was just that, nothing had happened. If he were to start a new quest you would think he would know the reason he was on it. Link was totally lost with no clues, no help, and no idea. He only had what the dream had said and right now it didn't help him very much. He was filled with anticipation.  
  
Through this whole thing Navi was trying to reassure him that a clue to point them in the right direction would come, he only needed to wait. But Navi too, was starting to feel the prospect of beginning this new journey. And then, it did…  
  
"Go to the Gerudo…there they will point you in the right direction in which to start your journey…" Link was back in the strange room.  
  
"How will I know what to ask them?"  
  
"Ask them what happened thirty –seven years ago and you will find your answer."  
  
The dream ends.  
  
***  
  
Now that Link had an idea of where to go he was none but to quick to leave. He packed his essentials and tied up loose ends before he left, telling the Kokiri children that he was to leave, but shall return in time. They bid him farewell as he strode out of the forest and onto his next adventure.  
  
"So we are to go talk with the Greudo and they will tell us where to go from there Link?" Navi asked again upon leaving Kokiri.  
  
"Yes Navi," Link replied, "that is what my dream told me to do." They stopped and Link called Epona. It was not long before she could be seen galloping across the horizon in their direction. When she had arrived Link gave her a pat on her neck and started to explain to her what has happened.  
  
"Hey girl," Link starts off, "looks like another quest is afoot." Navi rolled her eyes and waited impatiently for Link to be done.  
  
"Do you have to do this every time?" Navi complained from atop her perch on a nearby branch, "I mean I doubt she cares anymore than she can understand you."  
  
"Sh!" Link commands in a comical way, "even though she is a horse, my horse mind you, she has the right to be informed what she is participating in just as you do." Navi again sighs and leans up against the tree while Link continues to fill in his steed.  
  
"Hyrule once again needs our help and I can't do it without you. Are you ready Epona?" Link says enthusiastically as the brown mare whinnied in return. "OK then, let's go!" He mounts her and started to trot off into the direction of the Gerudo Fortress.  
  
***  
  
It took a good portion of the day to travel there; the sun was setting when the trio arrived at the stronghold; it hadn't changed much since the last time he had been there. The dark walls of mud and rock, tall cliffs and desert sand…the only thing that did chance was the ivy, now covering a good portion of the building. A cool breeze blew through in the evening air and chilled the Sahara heat. Link dismounted at the entrance and walked Epona in the rest of the way.  
  
With Nabooru awaking as a the Sage of Spirit, Tiamra, whom Nabooru gave the right of cast too, was now in charge of the Gerudo Nation. There were fewer guards outside of the fortress than usual, but Link didn't really give it a second thought.  
  
"They must be eating," he reasoned as he continued past the guards and on into the main building. Upon entering, Link could hear cheering and laughing coming from down the corridor, it sounded like a party. He walked down the hall, following the noise. When he turned the corner to the great hall he found exactly what he had expected.  
  
Laid out on the long table was an enormous banquet! Filled with every kind of Gerudo cuisine you could imagine. And is seemed that almost all of the Gerudo were gathered there, including Tiamra. Link was spotted quickly and the room quieted to a hush. Tiamra stood at the head of the room and looked at Link with surprise. Link felt he should say something.  
  
"I am sorry to interrupt this feast you are having bu---" Tiamra now chose this time to speak.  
  
"Nonsense! We are honored by your presents Hero of Time." Even so, Link felt awkward standing there with everyone staring at him; Tiamra could sense this. "Would you like to sit down?" She offered.  
  
"Thank you, but I have come here on a matter of importance," was his reply, "I would appreciate it if we could speak in private." Tiamra gave Link a puzzled look, but then consented with a nod.  
  
"Continue with the festivities in my absence," she almost commanded, and then showed Link down a hall where they could speak in private. She turns to face him. "What is this 'matter of importance' you spoke of?" Link is silent for a moment.  
  
"I need to ask you something about the Gerudo's past Tiamra," he stated. Puzzled she replies…  
  
"What would you like to know Hero of Time? I am at your service." Link hesitates; he doesn't want to sound rude or disreputable to a Gerudo leader.  
  
"I have to ask you…what happened to the Gerudo thirty-seven years ago?" Tiamra cocks her head to one side.  
  
"Why do you ask? Of what importance is it to you?" She said very officially.  
  
"Please, I need to know, trust me, it is important," was the only reconcile Link could give her. She stared at him stranger still.  
  
"Nothing happened thirty-seven years ago Link," Tiamra replied, but Link could sense that she was holding back. Link needed to be tactful and discreet in the way he went about this, the last thing he wanted was an angry Gerudo on his hands. Even though he knew Tiamra would never hurt him, she could storm out before he found out anything.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, is that all?"  
  
"Tiamra, you can tell me whatever it is."  
  
"I told you nothing happened thirty-seven years ago, you must be the victim of false information boy," she said with a slight tone of hostility, a common for Gerudo, who are easily angered. The fact that she used his pet name of 'boy', which he was known to be called by the older Gerudo, Link could tell that she was definitely hiding something from him.  
  
"Tiamra, don't lie to me," Link said in his most official voice, hoping that she wouldn't lose her temper. Instead, a small smile played on her lips as she shifter weight from one leg to the other.  
  
"Where do you find such ridiculous tales Link? I think you need to check your sources," she smiles and takes a few steps to the wall and leans up against it. The cool rock was soothing in the warm desert air against her back. Tiamra looks to Link who was staring at her in disbelief. He knew that his dream didn't just make all of that stuff up, it wasn't possible. Link knew that something had happened in the Gerudo's past that he didn't know about and he was determined to find out.  
  
"Do you think if I tried to contact Nabooru I'd have better luck getting some information?" This had to work he thought. Tiamra's face flushed at the mention of Nabooru and Link noticed that she immediately tensed up, folding her arms across her chest. She looks around the room, as if to avoid eye contact with him. Why is she so unwilling to tell him? After several minutes of silence, Tiamra decides to speak.  
  
"Very well," she sighs, "I will tell you." 


	4. The Second Step

Chapter Four: The Second Step  
  
"What happened thirty-seven years ago has been tried to be kept hidden in the past. Not many know the story, and those who do have been sworn to secrecy. Only I, as leader of the Gerudo, am able to tell this tale to you. You are never to repeat this story to anyone or there is a chance the Gerudo Nation could fall apart and separate; that is why we few have tried so hard to keep it hidden from our Gerudo sisters," Tiamra proclaimed. Link listens, drawing in every word.  
  
"Along time ago there was a woman, a Gerudo, named Pamiea who became infatuated with a Hylian man. Of course you know that the Gerudo are not allowed to take life-long partners, but this wasn't good enough for Pamiea. She was young and headstrong, and she always had a problem with authority; in many aspects, she was dangerous," Tiamra pauses.  
  
"With her outward rebellion against the Gerudo ways, she was setting a bad example our mothers and grandmothers were afraid of. She was changing the way that the women were thinking. Already she had followers who wished to live a different lifestyle, away from the Gerudo traditions. Pamiea seemed like she would do anything to be with her infatuation." Link fell out of his trance when he noticed that Tiamra had stopped her story telling. She herself appeared to be in a trance. She restarted slowly.  
  
"Our grandmothers decided the only way to rid themselves of Pamiea and her followers was to let them go. They banished them from the Gerudo Nation telling them to never return. The small group left, Pamiea with her new husband, and six other Gerudo women, never to return." She looked at Link to see his reaction; Link was still processing all of this new information into his head.  
  
"What happened to them?" He said in a whisper.  
  
"We don't know, all we do know is that they left following the river in the direction of Lake Hylia; we haven't heard from them since." Link was transfixed by this story. All he could think of was what it could mean, but as of the moment, he had no idea.  
  
***  
  
The Gerudo urged Link to stay for the festivities, but he declined gracefully and left them to enjoy themselves. Epona was waiting patiently outside for him.  
  
"What did you make of the story Link?" Navi said. "Do you think that it meant we should go in search of this lost group? That maybe the girl we are looking for could be there?" Navi was putting the words right into his mouth.  
  
"Perhaps Navi," Link answered, "that would be my best guess." Navi was silent for a moment.  
  
"It's dark out here Link, do you think it's wise to continue at night? We would probably have better luck in the daytime."  
  
"Scared Navi?" Link joked. "Afraid of the dark now are we?" Navi got all flustered.  
  
"Of course not! I just think it would be wiser if we stayed here tonight. It won't do us any good to stand around Lake Hylia all night and not be able to see." She retorted.  
  
"Awe common Navi! What's the use of standing around here for also? We're not getting anything more done here than we would there." Navi got a little irritated, but that feeling was quickly taken over by a smile when she looked at Link, who, was giving her that stupid little look that always made her give in. She sighs.  
  
"Very well, let's go," and they did. 


	5. Ill Fate Met by Water's Edge

Chapter Five: Ill Fate met by Waters Edge  
  
It was still late at night when they arrived at the shores of Lake Hylia. There was barely a disturbance on the water and the half moon shone brilliantly on its calm canvas. The one thing Link noticed was that there were lights on at the Lakeside Laboratory.  
  
"Someone must be awake," he thought out loud. Link walked over and knocked at the door. A cracked old voice came from within.  
  
"Come in!" It yelled. Link cautiously opened the door and peered inside. He looked around for a moment, there didn't seem to be anyone there.  
  
"Hello?" Link said. "Anyone here?"  
  
"Well of course there is someone here my young lad! Of course there is!" Came the old voice again. Link still couldn't find it.  
  
"Young man up here!" Link backed up a few steps and looked to the roof and found the source of the voice. "Up here! That's it!"  
  
"Professor? What are you doing up there?" Link questioned.  
  
"Nothing much my boy! Nothing much! I'm just finishing an experiment on plant growth in the moonlight. Nothing much!" The professor was very giddy. Link just looked up at him. He started to climb down from the roof. "What brings you here my boy! I haven't seen you around in awhile. Up no wait! Never mind what I just said, you were here the other day! Yes I remember now!" He did a half prance back inside his lab. "Come in! Come in!" Link thought that maybe the professor had gotten into his wine stash or something, he had never seen him this flighty before. He followed him inside.  
  
"What brings you here so late at night?" He repeated.  
  
"I'm just curious…" He hesitates but continues. "Are there any other ways out of Lake Hylia additional to the gates and the river from the Gerudo Valley?" Link waits the see the Professor's response.  
  
The Professor places his hand on his chin and appears to be thinking. After a few seconds the Professor says this:  
  
"Lake Hylia has underwater rivers that lead out into the wilderness. This is all we know because nobody had ever followed and charted them. They are fairly new though, they were created by an earthquake that happened some odd thirty, forty years ago," the Professor stopped there. Link wanted to know more, but had to be indistinct.  
  
"Really? Did the walls split open or something?" Was the best he could come up with.  
  
"Oh my yes! I was just a lad then, but I remember my father taking me out to see the giant openings the quake had created. The water from the lake formed a river that flowed downhill from that point. The rocks made it easy to follow the river down, but my father wouldn't let me go. A few years later my father and some men from the castle were sent to 'plug it up' and that was the end of that."  
  
"Oh," was all Link could say.  
  
"The underground rivers are still there though if you're looking for adventure," the Professor added. "Saw em' on one of my dives to collect silt samples. I'd be careful though if I were you, them currents are mighty strong."  
  
Link looked at him; it seemed he knew exactly what he was thinking.  
  
"Thank you Professor," he said and then left in a hurry.  
  
"Kids…" The Professor chuckled to himself after Link had left.  
  
It had started to become light outside as Link left the lab. The water was still dark though, so he decided to wait until the sun was higher so he could see more clearly underwater. Link waited impatiently.  
  
"I suppose that Pamiea's group followed the rivers when the walls around the lake were split open. According too the Professor it should have been an easy climb down." Navi stated the obvious. "So I guess we gotta go check out the submerged rivers huh?"  
  
"Yes Navi," Link said with an 'OK mother' type of voice.  
  
"Very funny Mr. Wise Guy."  
  
The sun had now risen up to a good level and the water was clear and light. Link took out his Zora's Tunic and Iron Boots. He took off his Kokiri garments and placed his new ones on. Now he was ready. The Hero of Time waded into the Lake and was soon lost from view beneath the water. He didn't remember any large openings in the lake when it was empty, but then again he never looked. With the Iron Boots equipped, he ran to the far end of the lake. As he started to walk up the other side he did notice something, a semi-large crack in the wall, large enough for him to fit through. Link took out the Lens of Truth and pointed it toward the opening. To his luck, the cavern became larger as it went in. He thought to himself; is this the way I want to go? Link pondered to himself for a minute, his resolution, into that tunnel he goes. With a deep breath he walks toward the opening… 


	6. Fair Maidens and Drowning Heroes

Hero: I can't seem to figure out how to keep the text in italics, in italics, so this will be kind of weird. I'm experimenting in a Gerudo language, so any word that you look at and say 'what, did she just hiccup and her typing screwed up?' No, that's the Gerudo. Hope it's not too hard, I really need to figure the italics out…  
  
Chapter Six:  
  
"Link…Link wake up," a voice came through his blurry visions. He was disoriented and confused. His eyes were opened but he couldn't see who was talking to him.  
  
"Navi! Come quickly! He's waking!" The voice called. Soon Link could hear Navi's little voice.  
  
"Link can you hear me? Wake up Link!" Navi sounded concerned and worried. "Can you do something for him?" He heard her ask. As if response to her question Link could feel a warm rag placed on his forehead. Where was he? He tried to sit up, but it was futile and he fell back down on the bed.  
  
"Don't try to move just yet," another voice came in, older this time. "Loraefin, morae' jetostas!"  
  
"Wher- whe- where am I?" Link forced out. He needed answers. Navi then came in.  
  
"We are in a village called Murieope Link. You have been unconscious for almost a day now," Navi soothed. "But you're going to be alright now, just rest."  
  
"How- how- how did we get here?" He was becoming more and more aware of his surroundings.  
  
"Later Link, Later. We'll tell you all about it when you are rested," Navi told him. "Don't worry, your safe."  
  
"I…I…" Link drifted back off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
  
  
When he awakes later that evening he finds himself to be in a fairly large room with earthen walls and dirt floors. He is lying on a makeshift bed made out of straw and blankets placed in the corner, his clothing gone, but a brown tunic in their place. The air is warm and calm and everything in the house seems to be in perfect order. Link notices a woman cooking in the opposite corner of the room by the door; she notices him.  
  
"Ah, so our young lad is awake," she says as she walks over to him. "How are you feeling?" Link is still a little confused.  
  
"Fine, thank you," he said still looking around the room.  
  
"Are you hungry? Anything you want?" The woman urged. Link was very hungry.  
  
"Actually, I am a little hungry."  
  
"Good, I am making some soup for dinner. But you can have yours a little early eh?" Offered the woman.  
  
"That would be very nice, thank you," he says. She smiles and walks back over to her cooking. At that moment a young boy and two girls, followed by Navi, enter the front door. The boy appears to be about fifteen or sixteen and the two girls about Link's age eighteen. They are all (except Navi) carrying in firewood and placing it in the box near the fireplace. One of the girls notices him.  
  
"He wakes," she says smiling as she looks at him. The girl has fair skin and curly red hair that fell about her shoulders. You could tell she was a strong girl for around eighteen years of age. She stood with an air of rebellion and had green blue eyes like daggers.  
  
"So he is," said her companion as she looked in his direction also. Her face was soft but her eyes were sharp and cloudy blue gray.  
  
"Link! Your alive!" Came Navi rushing to him. "I was so worried about you!" He smiled at her. The mother brings Link his soup while pushing their two dogs out of the way.  
  
"Eat up, you need your strength," the woman turns to the first girl. "Megeara, would you like to stay for dinner?"  
  
"It would be my pleasure Lindie, but I should go ask," she exits.  
  
"Joshuan, put these two noordas outside with Lealaps and Gabriel (referring to the dogs) and while you're there fetch Link his clothing from the line, it should be dry by now," Mrs. Hake told her son. "Finnie, puhmunt dos moidels un' fsomu thuc." Her daughter fetches two extra chairs from the corner and places them by the table.  
  
Joshuan did as his mother told him to do, returning a few moments later with Link's three tunics and white under covering. The boy showed Link upstairs and into a room where he could change and wash his face.  
  
"We had to get your wet cloths off of you before your condition became worse if that's what your wondering," Joshuan explained before leaving the room. "I'm surprised to see you so well so soon," he added. Link smiled.  
  
"I'm a quick recovery," he said. After Joshuan left Link walked over to the sink basin and washed his face and neck, then, after that done, put on his clean Kokiri tunic and came downstairs. He still didn't remember all of the events that got him here.  
  
Dinner was set when he came down. Joshuan was sitting on one side of the table, next to him an elderly woman he had never seen before, a Gerudo woman. On the other side of him was an empty place. The opposite side of the table was composed of Megeara and the Hake's daughter; Finnie was it? At the head of the table was, what Link guessed, Mr. Hake; Mrs. Hake still making the last arrangements in the kitchen. Link walked off the stairs and stood a little ways off from the table, hoping someone would notice him.  
  
"Ah, there he is!" Mr. Hake said with emphasis. "Come and sit down! I think we have much to talk about."  
  
"I believe so," Link said; he walked over and took the place between Joshuan and Mr. Hake. Mrs. Hake then sat down.  
  
"Ok everyone, diggato," she announced. Everyone started to pile their plates up with potatoes and bread, and filled their bowls up with the good meat soup Link had had earlier. When that was all done Mr. Hake was the first to speak.  
  
"I'm guessing that you have a lot of questions my young friend," he said turning to Link. "We don't know to much about what happened to you, we were hoping you could fill in those details, but when my daughter and Megeara found you, you were half dead." Link gives him a confused look.  
  
"Loraefin and I found you on the shores of the river just beyond our village," Megeara steps in. "You were suffering from hypothermia, we guessed that your Zoras Tunic kept you from drowning."  
  
"How did you know about the Zoras…" Link was cut off.  
  
"We know many things about the outside world, more than we appear to know," the old woman stated with an air of wisdom. "We, like you, come from the outside world," she pauses and looks him over. "You are Hylian, are you not?" Link was caught by surprise.  
  
"Yes Ma'am," he said. She stared at him a moment.  
  
"Ti mueyanna go locure…" She seemed to say to herself, then drifted off. Mrs. Hake then picked up the conversation.  
  
"Do you remember anything about how you got here Link?" She said in a motherly tone. Link thought for a moment.  
  
"Yes…" He started slowly. "I was exploring the underground rivers that left Lake Hylia. When I got close to the entrance of the tunnel, I got swept in by the current…With the Zora's Tunic on I could breath, but the water was more turbulent than I expected, so I took off my Iron boots so the current would take me. The river didn't remain underground for long, but I couldn't find a ledge to grab onto. The next thing I remember is this giant rock in the middle of the river and…"  
  
"It knocked you unconscious, and the river carried you here," Navi finished the story.  
  
"And that is where Megeara and I come in," Loraefin continued as she turns to Link. "We were out riding horses when we noticed you on the beach. Navi gave us a quick little story as we put you on my horse and got you home. As Megeara said, you were half dead." Link smiles at her, and then to everyone.  
  
"Thank you all for your kindness and hospitality," he said. "I owe you my life."  
  
"Think nothing of it young man," Mr. Hake told him. "After all, you'll be staying with us for quite some time yet. You should take it easy a few more days, till we are sure your back on your feet."  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't impose on you like that, I'll…" He stopped for a moment. This would be a perfect opportunity to find out if the feeling he saw getting from these people were true. "You know, I will take you up on that offer." 


	7. Learning

Chapter Seven:  
  
Link had found the lost group of the Gerudo. Who else could they be? He had followed the path that Tiamra had pointed out to him. The fact that at the same time as Pamiea's group left, there were openings for them to follow in the walls of Lake Hylia. And the river that swept him away carried him here. All of the evidence pointed to them. Plus, many of the inhabitance had the more rounded ears, a physical trademark of the Gerudo people. And some had the more pointed ears, such as himself. This community was defiantly a mixture of races. There was nothing that could prove him wrong, and indeed he was not wrong.  
  
He had not given any indication that he knew who they were, though he doubted they would care. He planned to wait for the right time to confront someone about it, may be he could find Pamiea herself. But meanwhile, Link was enjoying the company of the Hakes', as well as the whole town of Murieope.  
  
He and Joshuan took the Hake's four dogs, Laelaps and Gabriel, along with their two pups, Acantha and Styx, to Lake Avernus and went fishing. In a way, Joshuan reminded Link of himself at that age. But Link was not one to scorn other company though. He took pleasure in the friendship that he was making with everyone he met in Murieope! Link met with Megeara and Loraefin's friends, quite a lot they were, but none the less funny and kind hearted. They showed him around Murieope with its clusters of earthen houses and rising cliffs all around. They took him just beyond the village where the land suddenly sloped down, the shores of Lake Avernus right below it. They took him on the grand tour you could say. He met with everyone in the village and everyone took an uncanny fascination to him. With the exception of the village elders, these people have never seen anyone from the outside, all they knew were the people they were born and raised with. Many of the girls his age, the second generation born in Murieope, took an extra interest in him for, besides his obvious good looks and warm good humored heart, Link was 'new meat' to a pack of wolves who have had the same diet their whole lives.  
  
All of Link's experiences in Murieope were pleasant ones, but always in the back of his mind was the though of his 'new quest' nagging at him. Link, at night, tried to think of what he should do next. Should he wait here and see what happened? Or perhaps he should try to find some way back to the part of Hyrule he knew. Link couldn't be sure how far the river had carried him downstream, he could be miles away from anything that was familiar to him. But always Link consoled himself with the thought that once he found Pamiea, he could get all the answers he needed. Thus, Link decided to stay put for awhile until something, anything, came up.  
  
On his third day in Murieope, Loraefin was showing Link around the windmill located at the Northwest part of town. The giant blades powered by the wind pumped the water from Lake Avernus into an ingenious water slew that carried the water through the village to the well at the center of the town. The 'life source of Murieope' Loraefin called it at one time while they were on their way there as a way to break the silence between them. She told him briefly how it was built and what different functions it served for the community, but all the while she knew that Link could probably care less. All she knew her whole life was that town and the people who lived there, nothing she told him, she thought, would have any interesting value to him. He, who was well traveled, had been out in the world, instead of being isolated from everything like she had been. The village elders would tell stories now and then, especially to the younger children, about the 'cruel life' they had come from, and how Murieope was such a blessing to them. Loraefin remembered hearing these stories when she was younger, they used to scare her and Joshuan before they went to sleep, leaving her with a buried fear of the outside world. Everyone knew that the place the elders came from was brutal and harsh, a thing that they had been told since childbirth. No one had ever tried to leave the valley, at least no one Loraefin had known of. And of course why should they? Who would want to leave safety and comfort for a cruel and hard life in the outside?  
  
There was one thing though that never let Loraefin believe everything her elders told her, and that was her grandfather. She remembered how she loved to sit and listen to her grandfather tell stories about his life as young Hylian boy and the adventures he had went on. He would gather her and her cousins and brother away from everyone else, usually going for a long walk and tell them these tales that kept a small light burning in their minds. But after every story, their grandfather would tell them not to speak a word of what he told them, and to especially keep it from their grandmother. It was their 'special secret' with their grandfather, and it meant more than ever now that he was gone. Loraefin's grandfather never talked about the place that they came from as being 'bad', not like her grandmother and others did. He always spoke of it in the most amazing tone, like it was a land of wonders and adventures always meant to be explored. Loraefin and her cousins would every now and then talk about their grandfather's stories and the fanciful idea that perhaps they would go there one day. And now, much to Loraefin's surprise was a boy standing in front of her who had been there, to the outside. There were millions of questions she wanted to ask him, but held her tongue despite her burning desire to have them answered.  
  
"When I was younger, all of us would play here," Loraefin reminisced, "we would ride on top of this grinder that crushes the grain for hours just spinning and making up games to go along with it. Did you ever do things like that when you were younger?" She stood atop the grinder, hugging onto the center beam.  
  
"I had a…interesting childhood," Link said rather awkwardly. Loraefin was on the verge of asking him about it when he intervened. "We have a windmill to where I come from, in Kakariko Village. There is this old music man who likes to sit inside there and play his music all day long. Day in day out, that's all he does."  
  
"He's creepy that's what he is," Navi added.  
  
"Sounds interesting, the place you come from," Loraefin laughed at Navi's comment and continued to spin around on the stone platform, "I wish that I could see it someday…It's too bad we won't." She hopped off and started to ascend the wooden ladder that led to the top of the mill. Link followed her up until the ladder opened to a large platform scattered with flour sacks.  
  
"What makes you say that? Hasn't anyone ever thought of leaving here?" Link asked her. She turned and the corners of her mouth twitched briefly in an odd expression and thought for a moment before she answered.  
  
"Well…I have, for one," then quickly added, "but just for curiosities sake. Besides, what's the point? There isn't anywhere else to go. You can't get out of the valley." The girl walked through the small door that led out to the bastion and beckoned for Link to follow. Outside Link could see the long stretch of field that spanned the valley and the small, but substantial forest that crawled along the cliff edge. The cliffs were tall and they hinted a bit of red color in them. The valley stretched along way, almost to the point where Link could not see where it ended. The cliff walls were narrower at the end of the basin where Murieope was nestled, but once you got past the village, the valley expanded until it seemed as far across as it did long. The trees grew in clumps forming forests and were scattered along the border of the bluff. Link could see the small waterfall that deposited the river, and him, into Lake Avernus below the town. The water reflected the blue of the sky and made a pretty site at all times of the day.  
  
Link looked over to Loraefin, who was talking again about something, but he wasn't really paying much attention. He noticed her few strong Gerudo features, like the broad bridge of her nose and her round ears that were partially hidden by her hair. Loraefin's nose was not as big as a pure Gerudo; the end did not come down so far but instead rounded itself off quite nicely. Her skin was not quite so dark as well, but most definitely darker than his or Megeara's. It was a pleasant tan color that complimented her long, brown hair that was sketchily tied up into a loose half-ponytail. Her eyes though, as Link could plainly see, were Hylian, big, bright, and blue.  
  
"What do you mean there is no way out? There has to be one." Link scratched behind his ear making the small silver hoop on it glint in the sunlight. Loraefin shrugged her shoulders with a very careless air to the gesture.  
  
"No, there isn't," she said firmly and then her features softened and she reached a hand to hesitantly touch his forearm. "I'm sorry Link, but as far as I know you're going to be staying with us for a long time. The only way I know into the valley is the river and as you know it's one direction." Link was mulling this over in his brain quickly but kept his expression impassive still. Surely the dream had not sent him here to stay, what would that accomplish? There had to be another way.  
  
"We can't stay here," Navi objected quickly, "We don't mean to sound ungrateful, but we need to leave as soon as possible." Loraefin shook her head again.  
  
"I've lived here my entire life and I've not seen one person leave here once in those eighteen years. I would like to sympathize with you, but Mureiope isn't a bad place you two, in time you'll come to see it as home I'd hope." Home, certainly not their home. Just as Link was opening his mouth to speak Loraefin's attention turned to the scuttling sound down below on the stone floor. Megeara came dashing up the ladder to meet them and her face had a look of excitement on it.  
  
"Loraefin! Pamiea gont ta' luu rou Link!" She exhaled all at once. Loraefin's face then too got the look of surprise as she and Megeara exchanged glances.  
  
"Ghun?" Loraefin asked.  
  
"Now!" Megeara answered. Link and Navi were looking from one to the other very confused.  
  
"What's happening?" He said. Both girls seemed to have a wave of realization come over them as they both tried to explain at once, making sure they kept their tongue in Hylian.  
  
"We were wondering when she was going to call for you!" Loraefin exclaimed.  
  
"My Grandmother wants to speak with you," Megeara repeated scooting down the path with the others following.  
  
"Why is that so special?" Navi queried. Megeara seemed to be trying to find the right words.  
  
"She's…um well, the leader of this village you could say…at least since my Grandfather died."  
  
"She probably wants to ask you some questions, it's been a long time since we've gotten any visitors around here," Loraefin continued.  
  
"Yeah, like thirty something years," Megeara retorted all the while hurrying through the village square. The square was alive with people going about their business and daily life. They looked at Megeara and Loraefin strangely as they both practically shoved Link through the market place. Some other children their age ran up to them and inquired what they were doing. Megeara explained briefly and they too, seemed to become full of excitement.  
  
"What wait a minute!" Link exclaimed and stopped himself promptly. "I'm not going to go anywhere until you two tell me something." The two looked at each other and then back to Link.  
  
"Loraefin," Megeara turned to her friend, "I think Lycus was looking for you earlier, you should go find him and see what he wants." Loraefin, taking the hint from her friend, nodded and left off in the other direction.  
  
"OK, I'll see you guys later then!" She said. Link thought for a moment.  
  
"Navi, why don't you go with her. I'll catch up to you later," he said. Navi hesitantly obeyed and flew after Loraefin.  
  
Link had not noticed that he had stopped in front of a rather large building at the far East end of the square. He stood in the midst of it's massive shadow as it towered above him. It appeared to serve as a town hall of some sorts with its more elaborate architectural structure than the rest of the buildings in the forum.  
  
"Is…is this where we wanted to go?" Link said in almost a timid voice. Megeara smiled at him and walked in the front door.  
  
"You don't have to worry Link, my grandmother isn't going to eat you or anything." Link was surprised by this comment, Megeara must have picked up on his apprehensive feelings or something.  
  
"No, it's not that," Link replied as he followed her inside, "it's just that…I dunno, she sounds like an important person. Maybe I'm nervous."  
  
"Well don't be," Megeara laughed as they turned the last corridor. She led him down the hall where it opened into a larger room. "Now don't be nervous, my grandma should be here any minute. All she wants to do is ask a few questions that's all." She left the uneasy Link alone in the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
It had not been a long wait, ten minutes later Megeara showed an elderly woman in. Megeara closed the doors behind her grandmother and left the two alone. The old woman circled him, looking him over carefully. Her skin was wrinkled with age but her eyes were still alive and young. They were Gerudo eyes that Link could see hid something, though he couldn't see exactly what.  
  
"So you are the young man that my grand daughter and Loraefin found," she said. "Megeara has told me a lot about you, what is your business here?" Link looks at this undersized old woman. The dark purple cloak that blanketed her head framed her face perfectly as it curved around. Faded red hair that had been largely taken over by white and gray stands peeked out from beneath the cloth, spraying into wisps wherever it had not been fastened back. Her Gerudo nose a very strong feature on her face, which was obviously very handsome in her youth.  
  
"Are you going to answer me?" The old woman spoke to Link with such authority that it surprised him. He fumbled for a moment, not knowing what to say.  
  
"I was swept away down river and it carried me here," Link came out at last. The woman's face filled with skepticism.  
  
"How did you come to be in the river?" She wanted to know.  
  
"I um…I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Link," Link tried to get off the subject of him being in the river. The woman cocked an eyebrow and Link thought he saw a glimmer of a smile briefly. She walked over to one of the tables that were situated in the room, sat down, and folded her arms so that they rested against the tabletop. Link still stood centered in the room, not knowing whether he should follow and take a seat or not. The woman's face now brightened into an actual smile, not a big one, but one all the same and said:  
  
"My name is Pamiea." 


	8. Discovery

Chapter Eight:  
  
"Pamiea…?" Link whispered to himself, but loud enough for it to be heard by the old woman sitting at the table.  
  
"Yes…does my name interest you in some way?" She said with what Link thought was a laugh. He tried to gather his senses so that he could ask the questions he had been waiting to ask.  
  
"I've been wondering when I was going to find you," Link spoke almost unconsciously aware to what was coming out of his mouth.  
  
"What do you mean?" Pamiea asked somewhat suspicious. "I ask you again, what were you doing in the river?"  
  
"I was looking for you," was Link's honest answer. Pamiea glared at him from where she was sitting. She was not about to trust everything this young boy was going to tell her, she had been suspicious of him from the start and now his odd declaration seemed to prove her decision to mistrust him.  
  
"What do you mean 'looking for me'?"  
  
"I am on a quest," was Link's answer.  
  
"A quest you say? A quest for what?" She said peering up at him. Link was frozen for a moment trying to find an response for Pamiea's question.  
  
"I…I don't know what exactly yet, but…"  
  
The woman's eyes narrowed as her lips pinched at the corners.  
  
"You don't know what you are looking for?! How can that be? Surly you would know something…" The old woman accused.  
  
"I swear that I do not know my main goal as of this moment," Link stuttered, "but I am sure that my presence here is necessary to my mission or else I would not be here."  
  
"Who sent you?" Pamiea interrogated. Link tried to keep his wits about him as he was assaulted with woman's questions.  
  
"I had a vision…" He started.  
  
"Oh a vision? That still doesn't explain…"  
  
"If you would let me finish!" Link said with an elevated voice.  
  
"I have heard enough!" Pamiea says as she turns to the door. Link needed to act quickly.  
  
"It told me to go to the Gerudo and ask them what happened thirty- seven years ago!" Link called after her. Pamiea stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. Her shoulders had become tense, and the wrinkles around her cheeks had become more dominant in appearance.  
  
"Who did you say you talked to?" She said slowly. Link relaxed a bit.  
  
"The Gerudo told me that a small group left the Nation. They were banished for rebellion. Their leader was a young Gerudo named Pamiea," he sighed heavily. The old woman walked back to him.  
  
"We were not banished," she said in a very low tone, deep and foreboding, "we left under our own free will. Did they tell you why we left?" Link was hesitant to answer the tempered woman.  
  
"Your open rebellion was changing the way the rest of the Gerudo were thinking," Link repeated the words of Tiamra. "You wanted to live a lifestyle away from the Gerudo traditions and…"  
  
"Ha! Was that what they told you? Those, those lies!?" She spit on the ground next to them. "Hag rodu thuy!" She turned her back to him in her anger and took a few steps away. Link could see that her temper was rising as she clenched her fists and tensed up. For a moment he thought that maybe it wasn't such a good idea that he let his sword and shield and the Hake's house.  
  
"I think your anger is a little misplaced," he told her and backed away further a few steps. Suddenly, Pamiea's face dropped, her fists unclenched and she sighed deeply. Her eyes relaxed, no longer filled with her burning hatred of the Gerudo, but instead with sorrow. She still faced away from Link and they both stood a standstill in the center of the room.  
  
"You are right," she said gradually with a sorrowful tone, her mood completely changed. "I am sorry, I don't know what came over me." With very slow movements, Pamiea went back to her seat and sat down in it. She stared blankly off into space, and then placed her elbows on the table and rested her head against her arms.  
  
Link walked to where she had taken her seat again and sat across from her. He looked at this old woman and wondered what could have happened to her to make her act so.  
  
"What was the reason you left?" He asked in a more sympathetic voice. Pamiea looked up at him, a thousand memories stirring within her.  
  
"I…I don't want to remember," she moaned. Link could now she the sorrow in her eyes and his words almost left him.  
  
"Please, tell me," Link urged. "It maybe the reason I'm here." He reached out and placed his hand on hers. "Please."  
  
Pamiea glanced up at the young youth sitting before her; only a select few knew her secret, but why did she feel drawn to tell this boy? Her mind was not willing to yield the information, but her heart persisted and finally won. She started slowly, trying to remember all of the memories that she had so long repressed.  
  
"I was lying just a minute ago to you when I said that the Gerudo had lied to you. They told you what happened only to the point where they themselves would look good. There is more to the story…"  
  
***  
  
  
  
"I guess it all started with me. I had fallen in love with a hansom young man that I dare say I could not live without," she smiled in thought of her husband, out in the fields by now no doubt, who had thought her paranoid indeed to bother questioning the boy. She would be pleased to tell him that he was wrong. "We wanted to get married, but Gerudo law stood in our way, so I ran away with him. To say the least I bore him a child, a son." Pamiea smiled warmly to herself as she looked at the floor, no doubt remembering what had past. "Though apart from the Gerudo Nation, I still held on closely to their beliefs and their ways. If you know the Gerudo no doubt you know that there is only one male born to the Gerudo within one hundred years, and he is destined to lead them. I wanted what any mother would want for her child, so I returned home, to the Gerudo Fortress." She now clenched her fists and could begin to hear sobs forming in her throat. Link was holding onto every word. Tears had begun to form in the old woman's eyes, something terrible had happened.  
  
"When I brought my son back and claimed him as the future King of the Gerudo many didn't believe me. Talking had started among my Gerudo sisters, only a handful believed that my child was the chosen one. Indeed I was changing the ways that we were thinking. But…one night…" She let out a giant sob and buried her face into her kerchief, she started to cry. "But one night…as I was sleeping…they…they…they took him away!" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I…I looked every where, I couldn't find him anywhere! When I went to the Gerudo leaders and demanded that they return him to me they said they didn't know anything about it. But I know it was they, they were afraid of him! They were afraid of him!" She was yelling now and Link was getting concerned. Pamiea's body trembled slightly with emotional energy as the woman tried to control herself. "I didn't know what to do, where to go; my child was gone!" She pauses for breath. "One night, my husband and I received a letter saying that if we wanted our child to live, we had to take our followers and leave." The sobbing starts to subside. "You know the rest."  
  
Link couldn't believe it. Why would the Gerudo do such a thing? To steal a child away from its mother! It was ridiculous!  
  
"I am sorry," was all Link could say after this shocking news. "I don't know what else to say." Pamiea looked up at him.  
  
"Say nothing," she said. "It was along time ago, and though I still long for my lost child I have a family now that needs me." She sighed heavily to calm herself and paused before speaking. "I don't know why I told you this. But I had this strong feeling that I should tell you. Only a few know…"  
  
"It will be safe with me," Link comforted. Pamiea smiled at him.  
  
"Now come, lets hear of your vision."  
  
***  
  
Link told her all that he knew of his mission, including the strange silhouette that appeared to him in his dream. Pamiea thought that it must be the one the vision told him about, the girl that was to save him. But when Link asked Pamiea said she knew no such girl. But Link did find out about an old cave on one of the ridges surrounding the village that the villagers used to use to enter in and out of the valley along time ago. Eventually it became too dangerous to travel due to cave-ins and then Keese infestations, so they no longer used it. That all happened before the first children were born in Murieope so only the village elders, the first to settle the town, knew about it. Pamiea said it was still there, though she would not travel it if she were him. Link thanked her a great deal and walked out to where Megeara was waiting for him in the hallway. Thankfully it seemed that she was not out there the whole time and never heard the shouting that he and Pamiea had thrown back and forth.  
  
"How did it go?" She asked.  
  
"Fine, your grandmother is quite a remarkable woman," Link told her. Megeara smiled at him as they walked together back to the Hake's home. They walked up the path to the front door and Megeara went in.  
  
"Hussa?" Megeara said as the poked her head around the door. Mrs. Hake was attending to some mending at the table and her mother-in-law, Re'ale, was helping her. They look up from their work.  
  
"Oh, hello Meg, Link, I hope that everything went well," Mrs. Hake said to them. Apparently news travels fast in a small town.  
  
"It went fine," Megeara and Link said together in unison.  
  
"Well good. Navi is down by the river I believe with Staceana, Lycus, and Loraefin. I think Laelaps and Acantha went with them, and Joshuan took the other two dogs fishing with your brother," she informed them.  
  
"Ok Lindie," Megeara said and then she and Link left. Once they were outside she added, "I hope that Jazhun doesn't fall into the water again. You should have seen him last time they went fishing, Galvin and Witt thought it would be funny to scare him and he was so startled he fell in," Megeara laughed. Her laughter was somewhat unusual, but ultimately endearing and added to the air of charm about her. Megeara had inherited the Gerudo red hair, which matched her personality it seemed, adventurous and energetic. Her Hylian skin was fair, and very beautiful, highlighting her also Hylian eyes perfectly. Megeara started to walk back up the street after a short pause between the two.  
  
"Where are you going?" Link asked her as she turns around.  
  
"I gotta go home and finish some chores from this morning. You could probably go find Joshuan and my brother or something," she said before veering around and continuing back home.  
  
Link was left alone in front of the Hake's house. He thought it best to go and meet up with Navi like he said he would, plus the fact he had nothing else to do contributed to the decision. 


	9. Following

Chapter Nine:  
  
Mid-morning pasted to afternoon with no note worthy events to speak of, but that was what life in Murieope was like Megeara had told him. Link finally made it out to see the stables, Joshuan and another boy Link's age, Zannon, took him out and showed him around. It was a building of modest size, 17 horses, 13 cows, and an assortment of goats, sheep and cuccoos were held inside and in the corals around it.  
  
"This is Balius," Joshuan said to him, "my sister's horse. She has a claim to him, or so she says." Balius was a strong looking horse, black to the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. He arched his neck and smelled Joshuan's hand to see if he had anything, to Balius's disappointment he did not.  
  
"Why does she have a claim to him?" Link asked.  
  
"He bit her," the boy laughed. Link was confused but thought it best to leave it at that.  
  
Next to Balius's stall was a horse quite the opposite of him, he was white all over except for his mane that was slightly tan in color.  
  
"And this is Xanthus," Joshuan continued. "He belongs to Meg's family, but he's Meg's favorite." Xanthus snorted and reached his head over to Balius's stall and nipped him gently in the ear. Balius retaliated and snapped back at him.  
  
"Do they get along?" Navi inquired making sure she was out of the horse's reach.  
  
"Oh yeah, their just playing," said Joshuan. "Oyu! Lataf ti you two!"  
  
After the tour of the stables, Joshuan, Link and Navi left Zannon, who had to stay and clean out some of the horse's stalls, and returned back to the village. Here they met up with Megeara, done with her chores save one, and she took him back over to mill where he helped her lug a bag of flour back to her house. All the while Link was going over the story Pamiea had told him. How awful it must have been for her, to loose her child. Link surmised that the Gerudo must have killed the infant, and that thought shocked him. What a terrible thing to do.  
  
It was early morning when Link was awakened by footsteps, too early for his liking; the sun was still down. And yet he distinctly heard footsteps coming from outside, but they were slowly subsiding. Had someone left the house? Link went to go investigate; he opened the door and passed through it.  
  
There appeared to be no one outside, or at least none that he could see. He scanned the surrounding area and found fresh footprints left in the dusty ground. He followed them. They led down to the river and into the sand where they were easier to follow. The tracks stopped at the bridge, but continued on the other side. Link traced the footprints until they stopped where the grass started. But by that time he no longer needed to follow them, there was a lighted torch across the way.  
  
As Link got closer he heard running water and could soon see a wooden fence that enclosed an area of the cliff. There were several torches lit and the light from inside shone through the slits in the fence. The running water was inside; in fact, he could see a small waterfall drop from the cliff above into the area. But upon his approach he was detected. Dogs started to bark and alerted whoever was there.  
  
"Gha thudu?!" Someone yelled. Link recognized the voice.  
  
"Loraefin?" He said.  
  
"Link?" It answered back with as much surprise. "What…what are you doing here?" He walked closer to the fence.  
  
"I saw someone leave the house, I was curious." He told her. "What are you doing here? And what is this place?" She was quiet for a second, Link sensed something was wrong and started to walk to the gate to get in. Loraefin noticed his movements through the fence and intervened. He tried to open it, but it would budge on account Loraefin was pressing up against it.  
  
"No don't!" She warned him. Now Link definitely knew something was wrong.  
  
"Loraefin what's wrong? Let me in."  
  
"Um…no, I can't," she said without reason.  
  
"Why not?" He questioned, pushing slightly on the fence.  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"Loraefin come on!"  
  
"I'm kind of naked." She shut her eyes tightly and pinched her lips together to suppress the giggle threatening in her throat. He immediately backed away, embarrassed. It now dawned on him what this place was.  
  
"Oh, geese! I'm sorry!" He told her. "I didn't know you were taking a bath!"  
  
"It's OK, no harm done," she let out a deep sigh, "nothing was seen."  
  
"By Din I'm so embarrassed now! I'm really sorry!" Link continued.  
  
"Link, calm down, it's OK really," she paused to think. "Why don't you wait on the rock over there until I'm done taking a bath. OK?"  
  
"Alright," he agreed and walked to where the rock was and sat on it. At that point he would do almost anything to make up for the embarrassing incident that he had nearly caused.  
  
By the courage of Farore how embarrassed he was! Almost walking in on Loraefin like that! As he thought about it, Link started to laugh to himself.  
  
"I don't see how that was funny Link," Navi said. He smiled and looked up at where she was flying around his head.  
  
"Oh, it was Navi. It was."  
  
With Link's presence there, Loraefin finished her bath quickly and dried off. She picked up her dry nightgown from the rack post and slipped it over her head. Then she wrung her hair out so that is didn't drip so much and threw the towel over her shoulder to carry it back home. Acantha and Styx slowly got up from their spot on the ground and stretched with the prospect of going home again. Link was deep in thought when his reverie was broken as Loraefin opened the gate in the fence. He looked over to her, the firelight shining behind her so you could only see…  
  
"It's you…" Link uttered under his breath. "You're the one…" 


	10. Surprise

Chapter Ten:  
  
"What did you say Link?" Loraefin asked, eyebrow raised and head to the side. Link blinked in disbelief and looked at her again. Could it be Loraefin? She was the one his dream spoke about? He didn't believe it at first, but sure enough he recognized that silhouette. It was her…  
  
"Uh, nothing, I didn't say anything," Link said as he hopped off the rock and over to where she was standing by the fence. Her hair was still a little wet, but she allowed it to fall about her shoulders, forming damp spots on her unbleached cotton-like nightgown. Acantha and Styx walked out from behind her skirt and greeted Link with tails wagging.  
  
"Can you hold on a few more moments? I have to put out the torches before we go," Loraefin walked back inside and one by one the lights went out, leaving the area dark except for the shining moon. When she is done, her figure appears out of the darkness and shuts the gate behind her. She looks over to him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She accused.  
  
"Oh…um…It's just I'm sorry for almost barging in like that. If I knew you were taking a bath," Link smiles sheepishly. Loraefin starts to head back to the village and she turns around.  
  
"You coming?" Link runs after her, and the conversation continues. "Don't worry about it, that's exactly the reason I take Acantha and Styx with me. They are my protectors."  
  
"Why are you out here this early taking a bath?" Link questioned trying to keep up the image that nothing had just occurred even though his mind was still spinning with thoughts.  
  
"I like to get it done early when people aren't around. I'm just kind of uncomfortable taking baths with the whole community of Murieope. So I take them nice and early before anyone else is here; it works quite well."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Loraefin looks at him from the corner of her eye. "So…How did things go with Grandmother Pamiea?" She asked curiously. Link peered down at her, the chosen one from his dream, how was he going to tell her? Surely she wouldn't believe him…  
  
Link gulped a few times and cleared his throat in preparation of what he was about to say. "She said something about another way out of the valley…"  
  
Loraefin stopped and stared Link down. Her cheeks were still flushed from the hot bath and the tip of her nose glimmered pink. "Another way out? How can there be another way out that no one knows about?"  
  
"You're grandparents do," Link replied simply. Loraefin's mouth twitched but she nodded absently into agreement as though his explanation had given her total clarity like a detective whose suspicions had just been confirmed.  
  
"I knew it, I just knew it! It figures that they'd keep something like that to themselves!" She turned on heel with arms thrown up into the air in frustration and as quickly as she had so she turned back. "So I guess you'll be leaving soon…"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She looked to the ground and watched her footsteps while she walked, out of frustration or out of habit Link could not tell. "Another way out," Loraefin mumbled, "unbelievable."  
  
Link struggled in his mind for a moment. Should I tell her now? How the hell am I going to put it? Fin, you are the chosen one from my dream and you need to leave everything you know to come fight evil with me. Yeah, that's going to work…  
  
"Link," Loraefin said. Link snapped back into attention. "Link, you OK? You seemed kind of distant for a minute. I'm the one whose supposed to be confused right now. Another way out! Bre'kenaar!" With that she gave the dirt a good swift kick.  
  
"Tell her…" Navi whispered into his ear. "Tell her now."  
  
At this point the two (three including Navi) had reached the bridge crossing the river just beyond the village. The dogs ran ahead and into the long grass to play. It was now or never…Link stopped, Loraefin walked a few paces ahead and then paused to.  
  
"What?" She inquired, but then saw the look on Link's face and added in a low tone, "What's wrong? Something else?"  
  
He took a deep breath and sat on the railing of the bridge, causing it to creak a little. "Fin…" He began.  
  
"Yes?" She coaxed, anxiety building in her voice.  
  
"Fin, I…I mean you…We…"  
  
"What is it Link?" She was getting apprehensive. "Come on, spit it out already." Being left in the dark was not one of her favorite things. Link looked at his boots to avoid her eyes and crossed his arms.  
  
"Loraefin…" He continued, "I am not who you probably think I am." She gave him an odd look because she had no clue what he was talking about.  
  
"Ok…Who are you then?" Loraefin figured it would be best to humor him.  
  
He now looked at her with a most serious face. "I am the Hero of Time." She promptly almost burst out laughing, but held it in.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I am the Hero of Time, and I didn't come here on accident, I was sent here to look for someone...to continue on my quest," he examined her face. "I didn't think you would believe me, but it's the truth…"  
  
Loraefin saw how serious he was, maybe he was telling the truth…but this story was just to weird for her to believe. Little did she know it was only the beginning… "Link, maybe that hypothermia did do something to you…" She said trying to figure out an explanation for this strange tale. "Maybe we should hurry back and let you lie down or something…"  
  
"There isn't anything wrong with me! Loraefin I speak the truth!"  
  
"Link, I would like to believe you, you know I would, because we're friends and friends trust each other…but this?"  
  
She was right Link thought. If he was in her place and someone she had only known for a few days started telling her he was 'The Hero of Time', he would think he was nuts too. But it really was the truth, only how to make her see? If she didn't believe him on this, how was he going to explain that she has to go with this boy, whom she must think is a lunatic by now, and leave her home to do Goddesses know what?  
  
"I know this sounds crazy but---," He stammered.  
  
"Yes this does sound crazy Link!" She sounded frustrated. She wanted to believe him, give him the benefit of the doubt, but this story… The Hero of Time? The boy that washed up on the shores of the river half dead? How can this be true?  
  
"Loraefin…I understand your frustration, but you must believe me…I wound never lie about anything like this." He took one of her small hands into his larger one and looked right into her eyes. She looked back at him, wanting to find answers, but what she found was answer enough for her.  
  
"Who were you looking for?"  
  
***  
  
  
  
  Link told her all about his dream, the Gerudo, and the silhouette that his vision had shown him. Loraefin didn't know what to make of that part, for she knew no such girl.  
  
"That is quite a story," she said, "but I'm sorry to say I can't help you, I don't know of the girl you are looking for," She said with true sympathy. "Maybe you'll find her later on in your journey, maybe your visit to Murieope was just a step in finding her."  
  
Link looked at her through his hair that was falling against his face. He took in mind what Loraefin had just said. "Well your half right." He began. "My coming to Murieope was a step I needed to take in finding her, but you were wrong when you said you didn't know her."  
  
Loraefin didn't understand and Link could tell. His eyes hinted who it was, but unfortunately for him, Loraefin wasn't the greatest at reading eyes yet.  
  
"Megeara!?" She exclaimed. "She is the one you're looking for!?"  
  
Link smiled and nudged his facial expression at which Loraefin's face dropped. "Oh goodness…" She finally managed to blurt out. Damn his eyes she thought. She had sat down on the rail next to him to steady herself, she still couldn't believe…She asked him if he was sure and he said he was, which made her more confused. This couldn't happen to her she thought; this happens to other people. I can't be a 'chosen' one! I am just a regular person!  
  
Link tried to explain it to her the best he could, but his lack of information made her still more uncomfortable. "I don't know why I would be the one you are looking for!" She exclaimed. "Perhaps you are mistaken."  
  
"You have said that several times now Fin, I am telling you you're the one."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh," Loraefin was pacing up and down the bridge, one hand on her head and another on her stomach. Why was she freaking out? She had always wanted an adventure, to get out of this valley, and here this 'Hero' was offering it to her and she was panicking. "I'm really confused." Link walked over to where she was pacing and put a firm hand on each shoulder.  
  
"Loraefin, I know this is all sudden, and I know how weird it sounds to you, believe me I know, but you must trust me."  
  
She took a deep breath and looked to where the sun had started to rise. "I do believe you, I don't know why, but I do. It's just…just…It doesn't make sense! I can't think of any aid I have to offer you on a quest, I have never even been out of this valley! What good am I to you? To Hyrule?"  
  
"I don't know," Link said calm and coolly, "but you are the one from my dream whether you believe it or not, and I am going to need you."  
  
Loraefin was silent for a moment as she leaned over the wooden rail of the bridge, deep in thought. The sun was peaking out from behind the hills, sending the pink and orange rays across the sky, dispelling the gray shades of first light. A fair wind picked up, blowing her almost dry hair into little streams behind her. She took a last deep breath and turned to face Link who was standing behind her.  
  
"Where do we begin?" 


	11. No

Chapter Eleven:  
  
For the rest of the day, Loraefin's head swam. In truth, Link's news made her physically nauseous. Everything just didn't fit right in her mind, something seemed wrong to her…or was it right? She still had a hard time trying to comprehend what had just happened…her? a hero? not to be believed. Her brain told her two different things: Get out of here and see the world! Become a hero and live adventure! And the other: Your family is here, don't leave, you have everything you need, a home and people who love you. Don't be stupid enough to fall for this trick Link's playing you! Loraefin was a girl of common sense, and her becoming a heroin did not fit in to her 'reality' column. She even contemplated telling Link that she wasn't going to leave, but she thought about it, and as much as she tried, she couldn't do it. Something inside her (she didn't know where, her kidneys? she wondered.) was telling her that this was something she had to do.  
  
Link and Loraefin had taken another walk later on that day do plan how to explain this story to the rest of her family. They both knew that they certainly would not approve of their only daughter leaving with an almost complete stranger to a land they themselves have never been before. It seemed hopeless, or so Loraefin figured (she having one of her 'pessimistic moods' as Link would soon become quite familiar with), her parents would never support this and she knew it. But Link, being the very honest young hero that he was (not that Loraefin wasn't honest), said the best chance lied in the truth, being straight forth with them could earn them some points. Loraefin on the other hand, was skeptical…  
  
***  
  
"What?!" Both Mr. and Mrs. Hake yelled. "You're going to do what?!"  
  
Things weren't going to well for the young hero and the newly appointed 'chosen' one. As Loraefin had predicted, her parents weren't responding well to their daughter all of a sudden becoming some mysterious girl from a vision and wanting to leave with some man they barely knew. In any parenting situation this was a nightmare, but with a new twist to it. Loraefin wasn't sure what was going to be said next, this is what Link must have felt trying to explain to her she thought. Boy her dad wasn't too happy…  
  
At first they had laughed, thinking it all a joke, but when the two persisted on the subject their feelings of humor became feelings of concern, and in Mr. Hake's case, anger…anger towards Link. Link had tried to be as polite and forthcoming as he could be, but it wasn't working, and Mr. Hake, who was normally a very fun-loving and courteous man, had become very hostile. But what good father wouldn't be? He liked Link, he found him to be a good and honest young man, but now he posed a threat to his daughter, or in his position he did. In Greysir Hake's eyes this youth had brainwashed his daughter into believing some wild and extravagant story, and he needed to protect her, for her own good. Loraefin begged her father to listen just for a moment, to maybe look at the bigger picture, but it was futile…  
  
"Out! Get Out!" Mr. Hake shouted at Link. "Get out of my house, I won't have you filling my daughter's head with your nonsense. Leave."  
  
"Dad if you would just listen!"  
  
"Loraefin," He said calmly, "go to your room and stay there. There will be no more talk on this subject do I make myself clear?"  
  
Loraefin knew there was no point in arguing with her father, she would never win. With one last look to Link she went upstairs, and could only hope for the worst.  
  
"You, get out…now."  
  
Link hesitated a moment, it wasn't supposed to happen this way…After staring blankly from face to face for a few instants, Link left the Hake's home, trying to recollect what just went wrong. 


	12. Message on an Arrow Tip

Chapter Twelve:  
  
It had been a day and a half since Loraefin had last seen Link. She wondered if maybe he had left the valley already, without her. But deep down she knew he would never do that so she put that idea out of her mind. But where was he? Her father and mother spoke nothing about the subject and acted as if nothing happened, except Loraefin noticed that she was never alone anymore, her parents made sure of that. Then of course, she couldn't blame them. And Loraefin didn't talk about the subject either, not even to her friends. It was hard for her to keep secrets from them, they were, well, family. As far as she knew they never kept secrets from each other, until now...  
  
Afternoon became evening and evening became night in the valley of Murieope. And with each passing day Loraefin became more and more anxious. _Where is Link? She thought to herself. Why hasn't he come yet? What's taking him?_ The young girl of eighteen lay down impatiently in her bed by the window where she could see the early summer stars above her. Her brother, Joshuan, lay in the bed on the opposite wall. He had secretly watched his sister stay up night after night waiting for Link to return, but with no luck. He had been there that evening when she and Link had tried to explain their story to his parents, Loraefin had tried so hard, but he, like his sister, knew it was a lost cause. But deep down, maybe because he was her brother, or maybe something else, but he believed in what she said. Loraefin was his older sister and he looked up to her, whether he wanted to admit it or not.  
  
"I wish I could tell you when he was coming," Joshuan said to comfort her. Loraefin looked over to his bed.  
  
"He'll be back, I know it."  
  
"How can you be so sure? Think Loraefin, could he have been lying to you?" He hated to be harsh like this, but nor did he like to see his sister hurt anymore, that was his job.  
  
"I know Joshuan. He wasn't lying to me, he is my friend and he wouldn't do that."  
  
"How long have you known him Fin? How long? Not very!"  
  
"Joshuan, go back to sleep," his sister ordered quietly and returned her attention to the window. Joshuan rolled over and turned his back to her. Why is she so stubborn?  
  
***  
  
  
  
"Hey Fin," Megeara said, "I'm going to go get some more water for the trough OK?" Loraefin acknowledged and Megeara left. Loraefin was so tired she couldn't sleep last night no matter how hard she tried. She started to believe Link wasn't coming back. Three days? Surely she would have heard something from him by now! With these thoughts in her head Loraefin continued brushing her black steed, Balius, not paying the rest of the world any attention. After several minutes a zing through the air startled her into alertness, she jumped back and frightened Balius.  
  
"What the heck?" She stammered as she stood up to calm her horse. "What was that?" Loraefin looked around the stable trying to determine what had just occurred. On one of the rafters, just within her reach perched an arrow with a note attached to it. She reached up and pried it loose from its wooden resting-place and removed the paper from its tip. It read:  
  
Loraefin,  
  
I'm coming for you tonight.  
  
---Link  
  
Loraefin reread the note several times just to make sure. It was him! Megeara came in with the bucket of water.  
  
"Little help?" She said. Loraefin put the note into her pocket and went to help her friend carry in the heavy load. Megeara noticed the paper. "What have you got there?"  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
"Aw, come on, tell me."  
  
"Um… It was just a list of chores my mother wants me to get to today."  
  
"Oh, well that's boring."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Well there's no need to say that Loraefin was as excited as she could be and as nervous as she could be at the same time. Secretly she packed some food, water and an extra pair of clothes for emergencies into a sac that she could carry easily and hid it under her bed. But then she suddenly realized what was really going to happen, with all of her excitement, she hadn't thought of it. She was leaving the valley…Leaving her family, her friends, her home…everything she knew and loved…and suddenly the feelings cam back and she didn't want to go so much anymore. One of the greatest things she ever wanted to happen to her was happening, an adventure, but now that she was faced with it she didn't know if she could handle it. But there was no turning back…Link was coming tonight for her…And then she also thought who is Link anyway? Her brother was right, how long had she known him? And now she was leaving her home with him? This young man, no, boy she doesn't know? What was she thinking! She had been swept up in her own heroic fantasy to see what was really going to happen.  
  
But then she thought again about Link, and how serious he was when he told her all about his mission, and all of her bad second thoughts seemed to dispel themselves. The only thing left in her mind was how lonely she was going to be without her family…and she hadn't even left yet.  
  
Night could not have come any slower for Loraefin. The house was dark and everyone had fallen asleep, except her. There was no sign of Link yet, but her heart pumped with adrenaline with the thoughts of her upcoming adventure. She barley breathed, for fear she would wake Joshuan whom was sleeping soundly. Loraefin looked over to her brother, how much did she love that fifteen-year-old boy…her brother. Leaving him without a goodbye would just be to hard for her, but she had to do it, even though he would never tell mom and dad anything. He looked so peaceful sleeping there, she knew that someday he would make some girl very happy, she only wondered if she could let him go on that day. Loraefin sat and reminisced about her life in Murieope, and how scared she was; she didn't notice the shadowed figure that had appeared under the tree outside her window.  
  
Link looked up at the empty window, waiting for Loraefin's figure to appear. He hated how they had to leave, without good-byes, to sneak away in the middle of the night…But it was the only way, Hyrule needed them and they had wasted enough time as it was. Finally after several moments she came into view and Link signaled to her. Her heart jumped up into her throat…it was now. She gracefully pulled her sack from under her bed and was almost out the window when…  
  
"You're leaving huh?" It was Joshuan. Loraefin re-climbed into the window and walked to his bed.  
  
"Yes," she whispered solemnly.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Loraefin was going to miss her brother so much, and she knew it. He still wasn't fully awake yet when she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Te sabu rou."  
  
Joshuan breathed deeply, his eyes still closed. " Te sabu rou taa."  
  
And, tears forming in her eyes, Loraefin started to depart out the window again, and slowly fell out of view of her dear brother. Link was waiting for her below, he saw her tears and knew what had happened, but before he could speak--  
  
"I need to go say goodbye to Megeara," Loraefin stated firmly. "If I am to leave in the middle of the night and cannot even say good-bye to my own parents, let me at least have this." She knew it wasn't the way Link wanted to leave either, but right now her emotional state wasn't the best and he was the only one there to take it out on. He understood.  
  
Megeara's house was up the street from the Hake's, and luckily it seemed that Loraefin had practice sneaking over here before. The window to Megeara's room was easily accessible and Loraefin had not problem entering, and why not? She was a pro. Megeara was sleeping soundly and was not wakened by Loraefin's entrance, this of course no surprise to Loraefin. She gently started to stroke the bridge of Megeara's nose until she had awakened.  
  
"Wha--?" Megeara murmured quietly.  
  
"Meg, Meg it's me," Loraefin comforted speaking softly in Gerudo.  
  
"Fin? What are you---Jeez it's not even dawn yet!"  
  
"I've come to say good bye Megeara," Loraefin knew this was going to be hard, but not his hard. She started to choke on her own words. She wanted to say everything she had to before Megeara became full awake to ask questions, questions she didn't have answers to. "I…I'm leaving…with Link. It's a long story Megeara, I can't tell you now…your grandmother knows…I don't know when I'm coming back."  
  
Megeara listened quietly, still half sleeping. "You're leaving…" She repeated the words as if they were in a different language.  
  
"There is a cave Megeara, on one of the cliffs surrounding the village. It leads to the outside…"  
  
"You're leaving…" She again repeated… "Some how…I knew it would come to this."  
  
Loraefin was shocked. "What?"  
  
"I had a feeling...when we picked up Link from the river…that you were going to go with him, don't ask me how, I just did…I…I'm not covering for you this time." Megeara was now awake and sitting up grinning. They stared quietly at one another for a few seconds.  
  
Gently Loraefin leaned forward and met Megeara in an embrace.  
  
"I'm going to miss you to…I love you," Loraefin whispered into Megeara's hair. Megeara lifted her head.  
  
"You come back to me…to us," she said. "No matter what happens, you come back home do you understand? Promise me," Loraefin takes a deep breath and smiles.  
  
"I will. I promise." 


	13. The Way Out

   
  
Chapter Thirteen:  
  
Link could tell that Loraefin was very emotionally unstable now. She didn't say a word on the way up the trail. In the three days of his absence Link had scouted around and finally found the cave in which Pamiea spoke of. She was right when she said it was infested with Keese, he had killed as many as he could, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they returned. And now he had to protect himself and his new companion from them, sure they were small, but they hurt. The entrance of the tunnel was pitch black, but Link was prepared for this. On his first excursion he had found old hand torches a few yards in and a starter torch attached to the inside wall. Not wanting to waste his magic, or draw attention he lit the oil soaked rags on each end the old fashion way with his sword and a flint rock. He handed one to Loraefin.  
  
"Here."  
  
She wasn't paying attention. She was in her own little world, looking down on her hometown, wondering if she was ever to see it again, her family again.  
  
"Loraefin," he said again, this time getting a response. She took the torch from his outstretched arm and followed him in. Her heart was beating wildly, she was afraid; she had to admit that to herself, she was afraid. Navi flew ahead a few paces, lighting the way with her glow.  
  
"This way Link!" She squeaked. Though Navi never said, she was glad to be getting on with this quest. The three traveled deeper into the cave. They walked slowly, trying to prevent as much tripping as possible from the rocks that were scattered everywhere you walked. A Keese came screaming through the air and flew through Link's torch, turning it into a flying fireball.  
  
"What is that?!" Loraefin screamed and ducked. Link gripped the hilt of the sword firmly and killed it, easy as pie.  
  
"They're called Keese and we'll be seeing a lot more of them." He said straightforwardly as he pulled his shield down from its resting-place on his back. "Here, use this when we see another one."  
  
She gulps "Another one?" Somehow she wasn't surprised. The trio had been walking around for about an hour when Loraefin finally spoke up. "Do you know where you're going?" They all stopped. "I feel like we've been walking around in circles."  
  
Link was deep in thought. "I thought it was this way." He said under his breath. Unfortunately Loraefin heard.  
  
"You thought it was this way? Link do you know where we are?"  
  
"Of course I do," but of course he didn't.  
  
"I knew it, we're lost," she said bluntly and mumbled the word he had heard her use on several occasions under her breath, "bre'kenaar". Link rolled his eyes and continued walking. But Loraefin stopped completely, she didn't move, barely breathed…"Link! Link!" She whispered. "What was that?" He turned around suddenly.  
  
"What was what?"  
  
"That! Didn't you hear it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"There it is again!" She hissed.  
  
This time Link heard it though. It wasn't a Keese, he knew that right off, it was more of a shuffling noise…A Stalfos? No, no they wouldn't be here…A Dodongo? No, not that either…  
  
"Megeara!" Loraefin screamed with joy and ran to embrace her. The flame of the torch illuminated the girl's red hair. She smiled and let out a quick laugh. "By Naryu I've missed you already! What…what are you doing here?"  
  
Megeara smiles at her friend. "Um…I couldn't sleep?"  
  
Loraefin roller her eyes and hugger her friend again. What could she say? She was sentimental.  
  
"So…this is how you get out of here?" Megeara looked around with childish fascination. "It's um…nice."  
  
"Nice if I could remember the way out of here," Link commented. Megeara looked at Loraefin and they both looked at Link whose back was facing them.  
  
"How did you find us?" Loraefin asked.  
  
"I followed you," she said.  
  
"Meg, you know you can't come with us," Loraefin said sadly. Megeara gave a half smile.  
  
"I know, I know, but I wanted to see you off," she spoke with a laugh, "besides, I can't sleep when something as important as this is happening now can I?" She glanced around the cavern and returned to Loraefin, "it's like them to hide this huh?"  
  
"I think it's this way," Navi says as she quickly flies around a corner, her glow still visible on the wall. "Whoa! This place is huge!" She comments which somehow struck the others as funny. The cavern opened up to a gigantic underground room decorated in stalagmites and other strange rock formations.  
  
"You're right, this place is big," Megeara acknowledges.  
  
"Light! I see light!" Navi yells from the other side of the room. Megeara and Loraefin scurried down the deformed path to the bottom of the room and climbed up the other side. Link followed behind them. The two were standing in awe when he arrived, he looked out, not seeing anything special, he only surmised they were experiencing what he did when he left Kokiri Forest for the first time. The moon was sitting low on the horizon, sending silver rays across Hyrule Field. Fog had set in around Death Mountain so the peaks seemed to loom above the ground, suspended in mid air. Lon Lon Ranch was nothing but a shadowed figure on a hill, with Hyrule Castle lurking behind it. It was nothing like the two girls had ever seen before.  
  
"It's so beautiful," Megeara said under her breath.  
  
"I can't believe…we left the valley," Loraefin realized. "We left the valley."  
  
***  
  
  
  
  Loraefin knew that Megeara couldn't go with them, but to have to say good-bye again was a harder task than the first time. But that time had come for them to part again; Megeara had to be back home and in bed before daybreak. The two girls embraced each other again, only this time it was harder to let go.  
  
"Take care of my family," Loraefin said quietly. "I know my parents won't take this well. If they ask about me, tell them I went willingly…and not to worry."  
  
"Remember your promise to me Loraefin," Megeara smiled, all of her love for her friend showing, "you come back to us."  
  
"I know. And hey, maybe I won't be gone for that long," she wiped a tear that escaped down her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm coming back. It's only a matter of time that's all."  
  
"Summer, I expect you back at the end of the summer," Megeara teased. "Come Hell or high water, if you're not back by then…" She hugged her firmly. "I'm coming looking for you."  
  
Loraefin looked her straight into her eyes and laughed.  
  
"I'll be there." 


	14. Training and News

Chapter Fourteen:  
  
"Here, let me see your form," Link told his new companion Loraefin. She swung her sword and lunged as if she would be attacking an enemy. "Good, now I'm coming at you, swing!" He yelled. They repeated the drills several times over. Link was not satisfied. "Here, lets see what your reaction time is," Link picked up his sword, a replica of the Master Sword he had crafted just for him, and the two started to circle one another. They had been training since early this morning, preparing for what might lay ahead of them.  
  
Loraefin was tired, she wanted to put her sword down and sit for a moment. Even though Link had asked the shopkeeper in Hyrule Market for a lightweight sword for her, holding it in battle position for so long was having affect on her arm. She eyes Link's blade wearily for it was double in size and looked three times as heavy. It wasn't until now that she thought of how strong he must be. Link lunged at her and she leaped out of the way, like he had showed her. She charged and he dodged. Link spun around and caught the off-guard Loraefin with her back exposed to his blade. He knocked her over forcefully, but not roughly.  
  
"You would be dead," he said flatly. She stared at him angrily.  
  
"You could have just told me, you didn't need to knock me on my face," she replied.  
  
"Would it have been the same?" Link answered as she got off the ground. "This is serious Fin, I need to know you can protect yourself if the time arises." He reaches and picks up an awry strand of grass off her shirt while she picked one out of her hair.  
  
"I can take care of myself thank you!" Loraefin snapped. "Let's get on with it." She stood up and sighed angrily. Link assumed his fighting position again and they continued. This time he could tell she was getting a little more serious. Good, she needed to be. Before, her attitude about the practicing was more like a game than as a way of defending herself, but now she was more aggressive and focused in her attack. Link was surprised. I guess she's tired of losing he thought.  
  
Link decided to throw something elaborate at her, he back- flipped and she did something unexpected.  
  
"Hepsar'n," she said triumphantly, "got you." Her sword blade gently jammed into his back with a sharp pinch. He was shocked.  
  
"When did you learn to do that?" Link was quite impressed indeed.  
  
Loraefin brushed the loose bits of her braided hair back off her forehead. She smiled slyly, "you don't have a Gerudo grandmother for nothing…" He stared at her.  
  
"Wha? You mean to tell me that your grandmother taught you Gerudo fencing, and it didn't even cross your mind to tell me?! Then what have we been doing all morning!"  
  
Loraefin gave him an innocent look as she rested her hands on the hilt of the sword.  
  
"I don't know how to work these swords," she said. "I learned on a Gerudo blade, we all did," Loraefin returned his blank gaze. " I didn't see a point mentioning it, it sure isn't doing me much good now. Besides, I never said I was any good at it, I just learned."  
  
They started at each other a few moments without speaking before Loraefin picked up her sword and Link followed her lead.  
  
"Do you know the Gerudo Spin attack?" Link asked her while they faced opposite each other.  
  
"What? The Stove'fel? No, not yet at least, my grandmother was going to teach me-" They clash swords. "But she became sick one winter and…Never fully recovered."  
  
"I'm…sorry…to…hear…that," he says as the two of them advance on each other. He dodges her high swing, leaving her middle unprotected. Link wraps his arms around her waist and sends her crashing to the ground. He quickly gets up and puts his sword to her throat, impairing her from sitting up.  
  
"You have to be careful to guard your middle," Link said helping her up. "It's a very vulnerable spot."  
  
Loraefin's chest heaved under Link's sword from her panting. It took her a few moments before she found enough breath to speak.  
  
"Can we…stop for a minute?" She gasped.  
  
Link placed his sword back in its sheath. "Sure," he agreed, and flopped down beside her. Loraefin lied back and closed her eyes to hide them from the sun, she gulps for air and breathes deeply.  
  
"When do you think Navi will be back?" She asks to make conversation. Link takes his time to respond.  
  
"Whenever she's let someone know that were back I guess," he says, "the castle is not that far, she should be back any minute."  
  
Loraefin simply replies with a sigh and rolls back over. They lay a few moments in silence until the drumming of hooves can be heard in the distance. Link sits up to see what's going on. A lone rider can be seen cantering from the front gates of the market entrance toward them with Navi close behind.  
  
"It's a royal messenger…" Link said to himself and looked up at Navi and then back to the rider who halted in front of them. He dismounted off his horse, walked over to Link and handed him a piece of paper.  
  
"A message from the King," he simply put it. "He requests your presents immediately."  
  
Link looked at the now unfolded piece of paper in his hand. It read:  
  
  
  
  
  
Link---  
  
I am in need of your assistance once again. We fear that something terribly wrong is happening concerning the Zoras'. Please come quickly.  
  
---King Harkinian  
  
Link blinked once and scanned the paper over again. Then placing it inside his tunic looked to the messenger.  
  
"Take us there," he said. With that the man nodded and mounted his horse, and Link doing the same, mounted Epona and helped Loraefin up. They galloped over the field and through the market, up the dirt trail to Hyrule Castle and under the giant stone archway. The horses halted in front of the castle and the three dismounted.  
  
"This way," the messenger said and led them inside the big wooden doors.  
  
"Link, what was on that paper the King gave you?" Loraefin asked in a whisper, but he didn't answer, he was too preoccupied. Loraefin had been stunned by the size of the castle when she had first seen it, after all she had never seen anything like it before in her life, but the inside was more than she could imagine. She only regretted that they couldn't linger in the halls for just a moment, to let her take in all of these new sights that she had missed out on, how foreign everything was… But no time for that, Loraefin had to practically jog to keep up with the others.  
  
The messenger led them down a particular hall that had giant eleven-foot windows that let in the sun to shine on the ruby red carpets and walls. There was a guard stationed on either side of a massive door at the end of the hall, she guessed that was where the king was waiting. The messenger opened the double doors and walked in with Link following, but when Loraefin tried to enter she was abruptly halted.  
  
"I'm sorry but you can't enter here," the guard told her. "The King has asked only for the Hero of Time." Loraefin didn't say anything but looked to the guard and then to Link and then back to the guard. Link was about to say something but Loraefin stopped him.  
  
"I'll wait out here," she said meekly to Link and backed up a few steps, obviously intimidated by the guard. "Go on, the King is waiting." With one last glance Link walked into the large chamber in front of him where King Harkinian was waiting.  
  
"Your majesty, Link has arrived," the messenger announced and then gracefully bowed and backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him. The King was seated behind his desk, two large windows arched behind him. He looked worried. Papers and maps were strewn all about his escritoire; nothing was in order.  
  
"I'm glad you've come Link, " the King started, "it is good to see you well."  
  
Link walked forward so that he was standing directly in front of the desk. "You too your majesty," he said. "I hope you are fine as well," King Harkinian smiled.  
  
"I am. But that's not the reason I brought you here. Come closer and let me show you," the King motioned Link to his side. He sifted through a mass of papers until he found a handwritten letter from what looked like King Zora himself.  
  
"We received this letter three days ago," Harkinain said. "It was from King Zora," he handed Link the letter to read.  
  
   
  
My Dear King Harkinian---  
  
I send you this message in poor health, as all of the Zora have seemed to befall. I fear we may be dying. We need your help.  
  
---King Zora  
  
"As you can see our urgency," the King said, "we called for you. I sent my best scientists and doctors to Zora's River upon receiving this letter and some of them seem to be contracting mild cases of the disease that's infecting the Zora. We fear that it may have something to do with the water supply."  
  
Link looked up, "the water supply? That's not good."  
  
"No it isn't."  
  
"Did your scientists find out anything else?" Link asked.  
  
"Yes. They're starting to notice strange black masses forming on the water. They're testing them but haven't gotten any results yet," Link continued to sift through the loose papers on the desk, scanning one every now and again for information. The King interrupted him, "Link, we need you to go to Zora's River and give our people a hand. Can you do that?"  
  
"Yes your majesty."  
  
"Good," Harkinian walked back around to his chair. "I've arranged for you to leave immediately, they will be expecting you."  
  
"I'll do my best," Link started to walk out of the room but stopped himself halfway. "King Harkinian?" The King looked up from his work.  
  
"Yes? Forget something?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Have you heard anything from Zelda?"  
  
The King's face drops slightly, obviously he missed his daughter very much. "No Link, I haven't." 


	15. In Sickness

Chapter Fifteen:  
  
   
  
Loraefin was waiting outside in the hall casually browsing through paintings on the wall. Link opened the doors but she seemed not to notice, he walked up behind her and looked at the painting too.  
  
"It's nice isn't it?" She said. "I like all of the reds they used in her dress. Do you know who she is?" Link continued to look.  
  
"That's Princess Zelda," he put it simply.  
  
"Oh, do you know her?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"She is very pretty."  
  
Link started to walk back down the hall; he had no time to waste on paintings, even if they were of Zelda. Loraefin ran after him.  
  
"Hey, what happened in there?" She asked.  
  
"Did your grandmother ever tell you about the Zora's?" He said in a hurry.  
  
"Once or twice, they're the fish people right? She used them sometimes in bedtime stories."  
  
"You could put it that way I guess. Anyway there's something wrong with the water and they're dying from it," Link explained quickly. "Zora's River feeds into Lake Hylia and the towns water supply, in other words we could be next."  
  
"And Lake Hylia is the source of Murieope's rivers as well!" Loraefin remembers from one of Link's short geography lessons, "what are we going to do?" Loraefin inquired very concerned, after all it wasn't every day she was faced with such problems.  
  
"What else, go and try to help."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Link leaped through the opening in the waterfall to Zora's Domain with no hesitation whatsoever. Loraefin on the other hand just eyed the distance between her and the ledge and thought to herself, no way I'm jumping that, not on my life…  
  
"Hey Fin come on!" Link shouted and waited for her to jump.  
  
"I don't think I can jump that!" She argued.  
  
"Sure you can! Just try."  
  
"I'm going to fall."  
  
"No you're not, just jump!"  
  
"It's to far!" Loraefin said timidly. She may have been raised running about in the woods an on the hills around her home, but she was not foolish enough not to question her own physical limits.  
  
"Come on," Link coaxed. "If you can't do this we're not going to get very far here, so help me out. Don't worry I'll be right here to catch you." With much hesitation Loraefin takes a deep breath, tenses up and then not so gracefully leaps over the gap. She scrambles to stand up.  
  
"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" He said.  
  
"Easy for you to say, I don't think I'm cut out for a hero lifestyle yet," Loraefin stated in a comical way. "Let's just say I'm not looking forward to that again."  
  
"Well sorry, but this is the way out too," he teased.  
  
"Jat ti," Link heard her mumble under her breath. Link found that as their time together increased, her little Gerudo swearing spats were quite amusing.  
  
Zora's Domain was quiet except for the constant sound of water rushing from here to there. There were no Zoras visible when the three entered, everything looked abandoned. They continued down the ledge and up the stairs to where King Zora himself stayed in the top chamber.  
  
"This place is incredible," Loraefin commented, "it's beautiful."  
  
"It was a lot prettier last time we came here," Navi said. "Look at all of the black globs on the water! I wonder what's happening…" They reach the top of the stairs. A congregation of doctors and scientists were gathered there, Link could see that King Zora was not in his usual spot at the top of the wall. The group from the castle had set up a lab in the large chamber, an assortment of bottles, test tubes, and other devices where assembled on the central floor. Someone notices them.  
  
"You must be Link," the doctor said walking over to shake his hand. "It is good to have you here with us," he notices Loraefin. "And who may I ask is this?"  
  
"This is Loraefin, and this is Navi, they've come to help," Link said simply.  
  
"Well, a pleasure to meet both of you as well. Come, I'll show you what we've found so far," he starts to walk back to the group of men and women situated behind him. "It seems that the Zora's contracted the disease several years ago, we weren't quite sure of the cause until now…but it's only at this time that the symptoms are surfacing."  
  
"So you know the cause?" Link asked very professionally.  
  
"Well, it still is somewhat unclear…but we do think we know the cause. I know your not going to want to hear this but…" The doctor trailed off.  
  
"What is it?" Navi persisted. The young doctor straightens himself out and clears his throat.  
  
"It appears that this disease was caused by magic," the doctor said. "The affliction was placed inside the Zora some years ago, it lay dormant until the spell was activated…we think it was left by Ganondorf."  
  
"Ganondorf?!" Both Link and Navi exclaimed in unison.  
  
"Who?" Loraefin asked. The doctor looked at her very puzzled and turned back to Link.  
  
"This disease is killing them, and we think this is only the beginning," the doctor spoke with such concern that Loraefin knew that this 'Ganondorf' character wasn't good at all. "We thought that it might only be the Zoras that would be affected, but as I think you know some of my colleagues have fallen ill from the same cause, were lucky it doesn't seem to have such a bad affect on Hylians."  
  
"What are the symptoms?" Link asked.  
  
"Burn like marks on the skin, temporary loss of vision and convulsive vomiting…so far," another doctor told him. "As we said this is only the beginning. Ganondorf must have left it as a 'time bomb', a last way to get revenge."  
  
"Where is King Zora and the others?"  
  
"In living chambers around Zora's Domain, nurses are attending them every minute. The King is in the room directly behind this one," the first doctor said pointing behind him. "The door is over there," Link looked and walked over to where the doctor had pointed, he felt the wall and pushed; it opened.  
  
"Loraefin, stay here, find out all you can about this disease," he told her and entered the room, a nurse met him in the small passage leading to the apartment and he surprised her.  
  
"Goodness! What are ye doin' lurkin' in the shadows like tha'? Come ou' of there! Ye nearly gave me a heart attack," she told him with much shock in her voice. "I'm guessin' ye be wantin' to see King Zora Lad? Eh then, follow the stairs to the top, ye can't miss em'," she continued on her way out with an armful of towels. Link followed the stairs up to the top chamber where a small congregation of nurses was assembled about a pool of clean water; King Zora situated inside of it. They ran back and forth getting clean towels and other things, apparently King Zora was not doing well. A gap opened between the pack of nurses and Link saw none other than Ruto kneeling by her father's side; she looked terribly worried.  
  
Her eyes were red from lack of sleep and her body looked exhausted from the constant cares her father needed. She held his hand solemnly and stroke it in hopes to ease the pain a little. Ruto had grown into a lovely young Zora woman, much more mature and intelligent than that of the haughty young princess Link had known so long ago; becoming a Sage probably had a good influence on her he thought. Ruto started to hum an unfamiliar song to her father, quietly at first, but then becoming more prominent each moment. King Zora shifted uncomfortably and moaned under his breath, but when Ruto began to sing he seemed to calm and drift off to sleep.  
  
"He's asleep," Ruto said softly with much relief. "Hopefully now he can get some rest; we can get some rest." She smiled to the nurses and stood up, just now noticing Link. The small smile spread into a wide grin across her face. "LINK!" She squealed but then quickly covered her mouth in hopes she didn't wake her father. She ran to him. "Link! I'm so happy to see you!" Ruto said embracing him and then, without hesitation, kissed him square on the lips. "It's been so long! How are you?!" Link was utterly surprised.  
  
"Uh, um…Fine Ruto. How are you?" Was the only thing he could manage to say. Ruto untwined her arms from Link's neck and stepped a few paces back, putting a comfortable distance between the two.  
  
"Not well Link, as you can see my father's condition is declining…We don't know what to do," her eyes began to turn red again with the thoughts of her dying father and she wiped the oncoming tears away with her hand. "Rauru let me leave the Sacred Realm to tend to him, we don't know how much longer it will be…" Ruto started to break down crying, in sobs she said, "It maybe to late for him…for all the Zora! Link I don't know what to do!"  
  
Link took a few steps over to her and gave her a comforting embrace; he didn't want to see her cry like this.  
  
"It's OK Ruto, don't cry," he said.  
  
"How can I not!" She sobbed, "my people are dying and I'm powerless to stop it!" Ruto then stopped herself suddenly and wiped her tears away and tried to stop crying in front of Link so. "Look at me, letting my emotions take me like that…" She turned around and walked back to her father briefly to dampen his forehead with a cloth and then returned to Link. "Come, there are things we need to-"  
  
Suddenly the ground begins to shake frightfully. The nurses run and scatter, trying to find shelter from the falling debris around them; Link grabs Ruto and pulls her out of the way of a falling stone. Ruto wrenches free and runs to her father stopping in front of him. Using her powers as a Sage, Ruto creates a protective bubble around the King, keeping him from any harm. Link grabs her again and drags her underneath the doorway where the others have assembled. The earthquake subsides only a few moments after it began and the ground becomes silent.  
  
"What was that?" Ruto asked, very shaken. "An earthquake?" She looked to Link.  
  
"It appears so," he said and walked out from under the doorway. Ruto ran to her father.  
  
"It figures," she uttered, "my father is still asleep," she relinquishes the protective case around him. Pounding can he heard from down the hall, the doorway to the chamber has been blocked.  
  
"Is everyone alright in there?" A voice came through. "The door is blocked, you'll have to clear it for us to get to you."  
  
"We're fine," Link said helping up one of the nurses. "We'll have it cleared in a minute."  
  
***  
  
"When was the last time we had an earthquake around here?" One of the scientists asked. "Some nine odd years hasn't it?  
  
"Yes," another joined in, "It was probably Death Mountain, but it wasn't scheduled to erupt for another year or so."  
  
"So then what may have caused it?" A third and forth comes in. "It's not like Death Mountain to erupt with out warning."  
  
While the scientists are arguing Link talks to Ruto.  
  
"Link, I have a bad feeling about this," she told him. "Something is wrong at Death Mountain, I can sense it."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Something is terribly wrong…You need to go check it out," Link was taken by surprise.  
  
"But Ruto…"  
  
"Don't worry about us, Link," she seemed to read his mind. "It's not doing any good that you're here, it will probably be better if you're there out trying to find some answers," her rank as a Sage was starting to become apparent. He looked at her and said:  
  
"I'll find a cure, I promise." 


	16. Up A Volcano

Chapter Sixteen:  
  
   
  
It was the first time Loraefin had been to Kakariko. She looked at it with an uncanny fascination as they strode through the village, Link was in a hurry though, and he couldn't let Ruto and the Zora down. They didn't say much as they walked briskly up the steps to the Death Mountain Trail entrance.  
  
"Going to check out Death Mountain Crater Mr. Hero?" The guard mocked him humorously.  
  
"Is the trail clear Evander?" Link asked the guard (over the years Link had gotten to know the guard pretty well).  
  
"Sorry to say Link, its not. The earthquake we had earlier today blocked it pretty good ya know. The Gorons are dismantling it as we speak."  
  
"Can we pass then?" Loraefin spoke up. The guard just now took notice of her.  
  
"Who is this Link, if you don't mind me asking?"  
  
"Loraefin," she mumbles shyly.  
  
"It's a long story Evander, can we get by anyway?" Link jumped in.  
  
"Sure, must be important if you're so anxious," Evander laughed again, "feel free to pass."  
  
"Thank you," Loraefin said as they both proceeded past him.  
  
The trail had been scattered with rocks, which in turn made it a little more difficult to walk through. A few miscellaneous boulders were thrown here and there, but no major obstruction yet.  
  
"It's amazing the damage an earthquake can do," Loraefin stated quietly to herself as the three walked in silence up the trail. Higher above them they could see the thick gray clouds of smoke coming from the crater which made Loraefin worry even more. Everything was happening so quickly, she really didn't have time to analyze her situation from one moment to the next. In a way it was an exhilarating experience, but her cautious and concerning nature made her uneasy. What a lifestyle jump she had made Loraefin thought to herself. A girl who until now had never left her home valley, to a girl who was suddenly wheeling a sword and going on adventures. It surprised her and made her laugh inwardly at the irony of it all, she herself could never believe it. Loraefin was sprung out of her thoughts when the three of them turned a corner to find a gigantic stone wall blocking their path.  
  
"By Farore I didn't think it was this big…" Link trailed off. The massive pile off stones was much greater than he had anticipated. They reached some thirty, forty odd feet in the air. It seemed to Link that the whole mountain face had come crashing down. The Gorons were there, helping to clear the stones away from the path, they had already cleared a good portion of it, but there was still a long way to go.  
  
"How are we going to get by?" Navi questioned, "we've got to get to the top."  
  
"If only I didn't have to give Princess Zelda the Ocarina of Time back," Link thought to himself, "then we could have just warped to the crater, we wouldn't have to deal with this mess."  
  
"I'm guessing that's a story you'll tell me later huh?" Loraefin added. She looked around and noticed the Gorons clearing the trail ahead of them; needless to say she was surprised. "Um…Link…What are they?"  
  
"They're Gorons," Link smiled. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you, they're one of the most friendly people I know," he walked over to one of the Gorons and started to talk with him. Loraefin, who was a little taken back by such an odd creature, stayed behind and let Link do the talking. She surveyed the massive pile of rock blocking the path.  
  
"Do you think we could climb it Navi?" She said curiously.  
  
"I suppose so," Navi returned. "I have a feeling we may have to."  
  
As the two were standing there in wait, a Goron was watching the newcomers with interest. Of course he knew Link, every Goron knew him, but he had never seen this new one before. He was curious as to why she was here with the Hero of Time, as far as he knew Link had never mentioned her. The Goron, being the friendly chap he was slowly makes his way over in attempt to talk with the new arrival. Loraefin wasn't paying any attention to these advances as she continued to stand off away from the rest of the group.  
  
  "Hello," she heard a voice behind her. Loraefin spun around.  
  
"Um…Hello…" She said nervously. By Farore it's talking to me. By Farore it's talking to me…What do I do? This thing is creepy looking…Breath Fin breath…  
  
"What your name?" It asked in a very friendly tone. "My name Terk."  
  
"Uh, mine's Loraefin."  
  
"Nice to meet you, you here with Link?"  
  
"You could say that," Loraefin makes an attempt to smile to hide her uneasiness. "How long do you think it will take to clear the trail?" The Goron smiles back.  
  
"I say three days. Gorons will have mighty feast with these rocks!"  
  
"You eat rocks?" Loraefin said confused.  
  
"Yes, Gorons love rocks, they taste good."  
  
Clearly this creature was very friendly and Loraefin started to ease up a bit. It wasn't that strange looking she supposed with its big brown face and stocky build, actually kind of cute.  
  
"I've never met a Goron before," Loraefin said, "but you seem very nice."  
  
"All Gorons very nice," he replied, Loraefin laughed. "What funny?"  
  
"Oh, sahroar!" She apologized in native Gerudo, "sorry! I just love the way you talk…I hope I didn't hurt your feelings…" Terk smiled widely.  
  
"No. Other Gorons laugh at way Terk talk to. Terk like way he talk."  
  
"More power to you," Loraefin smiled. Link walked over to where Terk and she were standing.  
  
"It looks like the path is going to be blocked for a while, we're going to have to climb over," he said simply, "I see you've met someone."  
  
"Link, this is Terk," Loraefin introduces them. Link bends forward and offers his hand.  
  
"I remember you," Link said shaking the Goron's slightly large hand. "Your Link's friend right?" Terk nodded. "There is a Goron named Link," Link turned to Loraefin, "my namesake you could say."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Fin we better get moving if we want to get to the top of Death Mountain before dark," The Hero of Time stated. "Terk it was nice seeing you again."  
  
"E'taaken tallar," Loraefin waved as they walked away. "You were right when you said they were friendly," she then said to Link. "He was very nice."  
  
"I told you, all you need to do is open up and be friendly."  
  
"Hey, you don't know me very well obviously. I am one of the most open people you could meet, just wait till you've known me for awhile," Loraefin says as Link smiles to himself.  
  
While talking to the Goron, Link found the easiest way up the steep embankment of rock. On the far side of the wall near the cliff face had the best footholds in which to climb up and over, in other words that is where they were climbing. It was pretty easy to scale once you got past the first six feet or so, the rest was smooth sailing. They made it to the top with little hassle whatsoever, it was the climb down that was the problem. A large group of Tektites were assembled near the foot of the wall of rocks. Those spider-like creatures with four legs covered in wiry hairs and the one giant red eye that glares at you through that tough leathery skin of theirs. There were about a dozen or so gathered about the bottom, jumping in frustration because they could not get at the two people and fairy on top of the wall.  
  
"Tektites," Navi said simply. "We can get by them, no problem right?"  
  
"Right," Link seconds the motion. "They should be a piece of cake," he looks over his shoulder at Loraefin. "Here's your fist chance to show off your Gerudo moves," he laughs making it all a joke. Link didn't really see Tektites as a real threat, after you save Hyrule they just don't seem that big anymore.  
  
"Piece of cake huh?" Loraefin looked cautiously down the embankment on which she sat. "A push over you say?"  
  
"Hey don't worry, if you don't want to…I could kill them from here with my bow, but we could use the practice…" Link said in a convincing tone. "It will be easy come on."  
  
"Er…I guess so. Have ta' get it over with sooner or later…" Wearily she starts to follow Link down the rocks.  
  
"That's the spirit!" Navi encouraged.  
  
They made there way down the piles of stones; Link kills three of them with his bow before jumping down. Hesitantly Loraefin follows having no clue where this sudden rush of courage came from. Link slashes one of them open with his sword and it falls in pieces to the ground. Loraefin takes a stab at one and it has the similar effect. It screamed in pain so horribly that Loraefin immediately drew back. She looked at what she had done in horror as Link was still slashing almost happily it seemed.  
  
"What's wrong Loraefin?" Navi asks.  
  
"I, I can't do this. I can't kill them," she says almost terrified.  
  
Link destroyed the last of the Tektites with no problem. The broken frames lay scattered on the ground; bodily fluids soaked the dirt and stained the rocks around them.  
  
"Oh great--" Loraefin groans and clutches her stomach. She bends forward and vomits at the site of the torn carcasses, adding to the already unpleasant mess. She vomits again and leans against the wall to steady herself, also turning away so she didn't have to look at all of the blood shed on the ground. "Can I have some water please?" She choked. Link, surprised, walks over to her and hands Loraefin a flask of water; she gulps a small part down. She breathed in deeply and allows her body to rid itself of the last of its stomach fluids. Loraefin takes another drink and hands it back to Link. Trying to relax her tensed body she shivered and coughed to clear her throat, then, without saying a word, turned and started to walk up the trail in silence.  
  
***  
  
For the next hour or so the trio made it's way up to the top of Death Mountain. They experienced minor tremors on their way up, which made them quicken their pace. Large billowing stacks of smoke loomed from Death Mountain Crater blocking out a small part of the sky. Nearing the top the wind grew stronger and made it more difficult to climb, but with time and patients they made it to the peak.  
  
"Wait here, I'm going to go inside and take a look around," Link said putting his Goron tunic on in place of his usual green attire.  
  
"Why can't I come?" Loraefin asked turning around so that her back was facing Link as he unlaced and removed the green tunic from over head, revealing the white undergarment underneath that he always wore.  
  
"The crater is to hot for a mortal alone. That's why Link is putting on the Goron tunic, it is specially designed to protect the person who wears it from the heat," Navi informed her.  
  
"We only have one so wait here, I won't be long," Link said adjusting his belt around his waist. "Ready Navi?"  
  
"You bet. Let's go."  
  
"Be careful!" Loraefin shouted after them as they stride down the steps into the crater.  
  
The crater was hotter than normal. Even with the Goron tunic Link could still feel the incredible heat beating against him. Molten rock lit the inside walls as clouds of smoke rose to the top and out skyward. Link peered over the edge of a cliff to see the lava pits below him. The lava itself was covered in the same black masses as Zora's Domain! It seemed to multiply on the seething red pools of melted rock and it bubbled like oil in the process.  
  
"Very odd…" Navi fluttered about, "it seems that the same thing is happening here as it is at Zora's Domain."  
  
"What's causing it though?" Link asked his fairy companion. "What connection does it have with Zora's Domain?"  
  
"It must be Ganondorf Link," she said. "Only he could do something like this."  
  
Another tremor hits and Navi and Link run for cover in the tunnel entrance. The crater groans as the cold air currents from outside flow into the funnel and churns the hot ones.  
  
"We better get out of here," Navi warned, "I don't want to be in here if another earthquake hits."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
Loraefin was relieved to see the two of them emerge from the entrance of the crater, and whole might I add. It was getting to be late afternoon and the shadows of Death Mountain cast a cold shade wherever the shadows lay. On their way back down Link described what he had seen in the crater and he also filled Loraefin in briefly about the story of Ganondorf, leaving out a lot of important parts, mostly about what happened to him. Loraefin didn't bother asking him about the plot holes, she figured he would tell her in time. All three of them were dumbfounded with this sudden turn up; none of them knew how to explain it or how to fix it. Could Ganondorf really have left it as some sort of 'time bomb'? And if so, how could they stop the damage if he was locked in the Sacred Realm for eternity?  
  
It was evening when the trio made it back to Kakariko. They were tired and hungry from the day's happenings, but they had to keep going, the Zoras needed them, Hyrule needed them. The village was quiet except for a few people out enjoying the evening air and the constant turn of the windmill. In silence they walked down the steps with discouraging looks on their faces, all that work and still no answers to be had.  
  
"Maybe…no that doesn't make sense…" Loraefin pondered to herself as she hopped onto a crate to rest. "Maybe…no, no that doesn't work either…"  
  
"I take it your as stumped as I am," Link said setting himself down on a step.  
  
"Rou nat," Loraefin agreed and added, "you bet," at Link's puzzled face, apologizing for slipping into Gerudo dialect.  
  
"Perhaps Ganondorf wanted Death Mountain to erupt," Navi concluded.  
  
"No, that wouldn't make sense. He would have known Death Mountain would erupt anyway sooner or later," Link replied. "Maybe he placed it there to…"  
  
"Distract you." 


	17. Don't Mess with Breeding Dodongos

Chapter Seventeen:  
  
   
  
"Excuse me?" Link said looking around for the strange voice that just answered. From the corner of a nearby house walked the old hag that lived in Kakariko. A very strange and mysterious woman who created the Super Potion that had aided Link on his last adventure.  
  
"He placed it there to distract you," the woman repeated. The words still didn't seem to hit home.  
  
"What are you talking about Ma'am?" Loraefin asked as if they didn't know anything.  
  
"The spell of course. You were talking about the spell that Ganondorf left before he was banished into the Sacred Realm."  
  
The three were baffled at this sudden turn in events.  
  
"How could you know that?" Link questioned her.  
  
"I know…and I know how to cure the Zora if you're interested…" She started to walk off back in the direction of her potion shop. The trio followed her inside where she sat down behind the counter.  
  
"What may I do for you?" The old hag asked as if she lost all memory of what just transpired. Link looked blankly back at Loraefin who just shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"You said you knew something about how to cure the Zora…" Link began.  
  
"Did I?" The old woman said slyly.  
  
"Yes you did," Navi piped up.  
  
"I did? Oh, foolish me…"  
  
"Well do you know something?"  
  
"Perhaps…" She said and stroked her cat, "but my memory seems to be failing me these days and---"  
  
"The King will pay you well if you do this service for him," Link knew her angle, but he didn't have time to play it. A wide toothless smile spread over the old hag's face.  
  
"Very well young man, five thousand rupees for the antidote…supposing you supply the ingredients…"  
  
"Five thousand rupees and we have to get the ingredients?" Navi fluttered over head. "That's outrageous!"  
  
"I don't have time to haggle with annoying fairies. Take my price or leave, I should be asking for twice as much!" The old woman snarled at Navi. This was the Zora's only hope.  
  
"What are the ingredients?" Link asked.  
  
"Very wise young man," The hag smiled craftily. "They are an assortment of items that you can find in Hyrule…The scales of a Dodongo, a stomach sack of a Leever, Octarok tentacles, an electric Biris, the spirit of a Poe, water from a fairy fountain…and a Hyrule Loach. All of these mixed together will make the antidote that can cure the Zora, provided I add a little magic of my own."  
  
"How are you so sure this will work?" Link questioned, "and how do you know about the black spell anyway?"  
  
"I do. Bring the items back to me when you have collected them and you will get your antidote," the old woman said walking off behind the curtain to the back room and disappeared after it. Link follows her but she just vanishes and is nowhere to be found. Puzzled, they leave the hut, wondering if what had just happened really took place.  
  
***  
  
Link suggested that they stay in the village for the night, they couldn't get anything more done that day and they needed their rest. Luckily, Link was acquaintances with the caretaker of Impa's house and they were allowed to stay there for the night. The caretaker lit a fire for them and laid out extra blankets before he departed to his own home and family down the street. The air in the house was a bit damp, but after the fire had worked its heat for half and hour the air turned warm and dry again. The three shared a bit to eat over the table while making idle conversation with one another.  
  
"So do you speak Gerudo at home more often? I only ever heard you mumble a phrase or two when we were there," Link picked apart a staling piece of bread absently then threw it into the fire with a crackling pop.  
  
"Sometimes, more like half and half…Mostly when we're angry," Loraefin grinned at the thought, "coy rou judub ka' greis es'toona."  
  
"What does that mean?" Link grinned, a sweet, good-natured smile with laughing eyes.  
  
"May you never throw a pig into the river," the girl smirked. "My grandfather always said that, after he learned Gerudo of course, being Hylian and all. Based on a true story you know."  
  
"Really?" Link's eyes lit up with interest.  
  
"Oh, yes," she laughed, "when he was younger, before he met my grandmother Re'ale, he had taken a sow from the next farm and-"  
  
"Why did he do that?" Navi alighted on Link's shoulder. Loraefin regarded her for a moment, quiet eyes staring off blankly before she continued.  
  
"Well," she groped for the right words, "you could say he was a bit of a troublemaker, that's all." Loraefin shrugged her shoulders and reached to pour herself another mug of water. "Anyway he---"  
  
"Wait, wait, wait, he was a thief?" Link cocked his head to the side and looked at her quizzically. He could see the muscles tighten in her throat and her grip clench on her water cup.  
  
"Yes, you could say that," she said slowly, "what other kind of man do you think would wed a Gerudo woman?" Link considered this for a moment.  
  
"I don't know. A really strong man…or a really brave one." He grinned and she couldn't help laughing.  
  
"Exactly. I mean, he was a great man, a great man," her finger traced the rim of the cup, "kind, loving, brave…he was just young and rebellious. You probably know about that." Link just nodded.  
  
"So, are all the other men in Murieope---"  
  
"Most," Loraefin answered. "They don't like to talk about it much, they didn't think it was a 'appropriate' thing for their children to know, but yes, I think they broke into the jail and made my grandfathers an offer they…couldn't refuse?" Link made the mental image of a dozen Gerudo warriors breaking into the prison full of thieves and other scum and offering them their freedom in return for joining them. Gerudo women were beautiful, he could imagine they did not get much resistance. "A interesting family tree no?" She laughed faintly and stretched her arms out wide with a yawn. "Nayru, I'm tired. Where is the bed Link?"  
  
"Oh, upstairs," he replied absently, "but there is only one." She paused at the foot of the stairs and looked at him questioningly. "I'm sleeping on the floor," he added. The expression faded and she smiled.  
  
"Okay, waar jiwtu then."  
  
"Night."  
  
Link made up his bed with extra blankets about an hour later after the fire had gone down, but not all slept well after dark…  
  
"You must hurry."  
  
"We are! We can have the antidote within a few days!" Link was standing once again in the strange room.  
  
"Three days until the Zoras demise…The rest of Hyrule will follow…"  
  
"Three days? But that's almost impossible!"  
  
"Three days…"  
  
The Hero of Time jolted from his sleep with a cold chill running all up and down his spine. The fire had completely died out and the room was cold as well. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. First light was not long away so Link awoke Loraefin and packed their things. They were out the door in quarter of an hour.  
  
The first stop was back up Death Mountain where they could get the scales of a Dodongo. Luckily for them, Dodongo's Cavern was before the avalanche so they didn't have to re-climb the towering piles of stones. Groggily, they walked up the trail in the early morning light.  
  
"You never did finish your story," Navi flew happily by. Apparently morning grogginess didn't affect the fae.  
  
"What story?"  
  
"The one about your grandfather and the pig."  
  
"Oh, well it's really not that funny now. He was just 'borrowing' his neighbor's sow and the neighbor caught him. He ran all the way down to the river with it, the neighbor chasing him the whole way and there wasn't a bridge anywhere in sight. So he threw the pig into the river and jumped in after it." There was a large pothole in the road and Loraefin took a pause to jump over it. "Turns out the pig was a better swimmer than he thought and when he went to grab it and drag it to the other side it ended up almost drowning him and gave him a few good gashes with its hooves. The water swept him a mile downstream before he found the strength to pull himself out, which goes to show you never throw a pig into the river." She yawned again and asked, "does he always get up this early Navi?"  
  
"Only when he's on a quest or is going fishing," Navi giggled.  
  
"Hey, I'm going to catch that crafty Loach one of these days!"  
  
"You would think so…" Teased Navi.  
  
"I am! I almost had him a week or two ago!"  
  
"I got lost when you mentioned 'Loach' way back there," Loraefin added in. "What the heck is 'Loach' anyway?"  
  
"It's a species of eel that lives in Lake Hylia. It used to be endangered, but since a few years ago it's managed to thrive with the help of the conservation project," Navi informed her. "Anyway, there is this one giant Loach who lives in the fishing pond that Link has been determined to catch for years now."  
  
"Isn't a Loach on our list of ingredients?" Loraefin asked.  
  
"Yes, but we can just pick one up at the Lakeside Laboratory," Navi answered. "The Professor breeds them."  
  
***  
  
It was dark and eerie in the Dodongo's Cavern, only miniscule rays of sunlight penetrated into the giant front chamber. The cave was damp and had a musty odor to it, somewhat like the smell of day-old meat that had roasted in the sun. The lava pools simmered in front the enormous Dodongo skull placed on the cave wall, sending a strange glow on the confined area.  
  
"Ah, hardicata. It smells like my grandmother's meat and vegetable soup in here," Loraefin commented wrinkling her nose. "Nope, wait my mistake, my grandmother's smells worse."  
  
Link lit a torch and walks further into the cavern. They needed to get to the ledge on the right side of the cave, so hopping down Link followed along the narrow edge in between the shelf they needed to be on and the pool of cooling lava beside them. Once on the end they were able to climb up the aged wooden ladder to the top.  
  
"I take it you know where we're going?" Loraefin mentioned.  
  
"Yea, you could say that."  
  
She looked around the room they were standing in; she looked anxious.  
  
"So, um…What are these Dodongos like anyway?" She said. Link thought for a moment.  
  
"Well," he began, "there about as big as you, no back legs just front ones, they breath fire and when you kill one you better stand back because they blow up."  
  
"Bre'kenaar," Loraefin replied.  
  
They searched the first three rooms without success, it appeared that the Dodongos had got up and left with no reason at all. This was strange to Link, the cavern had always been filled with Dodongo…or at least every time he had been there. There were plenty of Keese to go around though, a constant onslaught of them to be precise making it hard to get anything done.  
  
The trio searched every room except the last one on the right side where the Dodongo usually were, but none were to be had so far. Frustrated, Link walked over to the last room on that side of the cavern in search for them, Loraefin and Navi had to trot (well, Navi flew…) to keep up with him.  
  
"Well I'll be…" They heard Link say as Loraefin was turning the corner.  
  
"What? What do you see?" She asked just as she came into view from behind the wall.  
  
"Sh!" He warned. "Quick come here!" Hastily she obeyed.  
  
"What?!" Loraefin demanded.  
  
"It's the Dodongo," Link whispered, "over there inside that room."  
  
"OK then, let's go get the scales we need," she started to stand up but Link pulled her back down.  
  
"Wait! There are to many of them do you want to get killed?" Loraefin sat down immediately.  
  
"No," she said.  
  
"Ok then, we are going to have to wait for awhile, I didn't think to remember that it's the Dodongo's egg laying season," Link looked cautiously behind him.  
  
"It's their what?!"  
  
"Sh! The females are extremely aggressive during this time. In a hour or two they will be done and will go to sleep, that's when we make out move."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Patiently they waited outside the chamber in silence, entertaining themselves with games of tic-tac-toe and rock-paper-scissors. Constantly Link would peer around the corner to see if the Dodongo had drifted off to sleep yet, which was a very long process. In the end it was almost Loraefin who fell asleep before the Dodongo, but after a grueling three-hour wait they were finally able to sneak into the egg laying grounds.  
  
"When you pull the scales out won't they wake up?" Navi reminded Link as he stood over one of the Dodongo.  
  
"That's why we need grab and run," he said. Quietly he leaned forward and motioned Loraefin to hand him the dagger that hung from her belt. She handed it to him and braced herself for anything that could happen. With one quick movement Link cut off several scales and jumped back; nothing happened. Curiously he went over to another one and repeated the step, taking several more scales; still nothing.  
  
"This is odd, they're not waking," Link commented and took a few more of the Dodongo's plated skin. "Very odd inde-"  
  
"Uh Link…Run!" Navi shouted as Link whipped around. Four huge male Dodongo blocked the entrance out. They snarled at the trespassers and started to move forward towards them.  
  
"I don't think we need to worry about the females being aggressive Link…Is there another way out?" Loraefin interrogated turning to Link.  
  
"Follow me!" He yelled as he turned sprinting behind him as the Dodongo let out a wall of flames. Down at the other end of the passage way Link hopped onto a platform that led to another doorway. "Fin! Can you pull that old statue over a little? That's it! Over that switch there!"  
  
Loraefin looked to her left and saw an old stone figure standing there and grabbing it, pulled with all her might, but it only moved slowly across the dust and sand. The Dodongo were closing in on them and they were trapped at the end of the passage. Link jumped down and grabbed onto the statue, helping Loraefin pull it the rest of the way. The door on the platform swung open and the trio scrambled inside.  
  
"It's a good thing Dodongos are slow," Link joked around. Loraefin shot him an evil glance.  
  
They were now in a giant room, almost as big as the main chamber. The floor was molten rock with the exceptions of a few sparsely placed islands of land in that were the only way to get across. A door was visible on the opposite end of the room.  
  
"Here, follow me," Link said as he started to jump from island to island.  
  
"That's molten lava are you nuts Link?!" Loraefin called after him. He stopped and turned around.  
  
"You can't be a hero if you're perfectly sane!" He called back, "now come on!"  
  
Suddenly, the ground took an enormous jolt and it sent Link falling to the ground. A few loose rocks tumbled down around him. After the dust settled he looked around to check things out.  
  
"You OK Navi? Fin?" Link shouted, coughing from the dust. He heard silence and started to panic. "Are you guys OK! Answer me!"  
  
"We're fine Link…I think," Navi answered flying over to him, "Death Mountain again huh?"  
  
"That would be my guess. Hey Fin! Where are you?" Link called again. His shout was met by Loraefin's choking cough. "Loraefin!"  
  
"I'm here! I'm here! Stop shouting! I've already got a head ache for crying out loud. Ah, Farore dus happenda?" another tremor sent her bolting upright. A shower of tiny rocks fell from overhead. "I want to get out of here," Loraefin said frightened, "can we go…please?"  
  
"Yea, sure," Link said softly as he jumped back to help Loraefin across. He helped her get up and tried to wipe some of the soot off of her face for they were both very dusty. "Hey, don't worry, we'll be out of here before you know it, I promise. Don't be afraid."  
  
"Chased by fire breathing lizards, disease, cave-ins…boy do you know how to show a girl a good time," she tried to keep her voice from trembling. She turned away from him and with downcast eyes muttered, "I expected more of myself, but I guess the cold hard truth is when you take a small town girl out of the small town it's not long until her bravado gives out." She tried to smile despite her fear, her dusty cheeks gathering up at the sides of her face.  
  
"I think you doubt yourself to much," Link encouraged, "after all, what hero doesn't get scared every now and then?"  
  
"I'm no hero Link, hate to be the one to tell you."  
  
Link looked at her sternly. "With that attitude you're not. Come on! Pick your spirits up a little will you? Your making me depressed," he followed Loraefin onto the next stone island.  
  
Another tremor, smaller this time, shook the cave. Loraefin quickened her pace, as the weak tremors grew stronger and closer together by the second.  
  
"I think we better hurry Link!" Navi tried to say as she dodged a falling rock. Loraefin had made it to the other side and Link was only a few jumps behind her. "Come on Link!" Navi called again. As Link's foot left the safety of solid ground it gave way to a sharp and violent jerk. Link lost his footing as he jumped and the motion sent him flying awkwardly forward. He yelled.  
  
Link threw his weight out and his foot just barely caught the last platform. Rocks were showering all around them; Link started to fall backwards, the cooling molten rock below him. Loraefin's arm shot out and violently grasped Link's wrist at the last moment with all her might. The Hero of Time reached out with his other hand and grabbed the girl's forearm to try and help pull him up. She lurched back as her boots began to slip forward over the dust. Her legs were strained and her arms felt like they were loosing their grip on the young man at the other end.  
  
"Pull Loraefin pull!" Navi darted about.  
  
"I am pulling! Kresca su!" She grunted and tried to steady her feet on the shaking ground. "Link! You're…to…heavy," she groaned, "I can't…pull any…harder."  
  
"You have to try Loraefin! You have to try!" Navi encouraged. "Just pull!"  
  
Loraefin bent her knees so she was almost sitting on the ground and gave one last tug on Link's arms. Link came toppling down on top of her, his weight almost knocking the wind out of her. She panted for breath but Link pulled her up by the arm.  
  
"We need to go!" He shouted. Fleets of stones were assailing them from over head; Link took off his shield and held it over their heads as they ran through the cave and back into the main chamber. The quakes had started to subside as they sprinted out the entrance and back down Death Mountain Trail to safety. 


	18. Oh, The Wetness

Chapter Eighteen:  
  
   
  
"I think the best way we can approach this is to split up, we don't have enough time to get everything together," Link was saying after they had left Kakariko. "I can get the Leever sack and the Biris, they're more difficult, and you can take care of the Poe, the Octarok tentacles, and while you're at Lake Hylia you can pick up a Loach. Got it Fin?"  
  
"Yes, when do you want to meet?" Loraefin confirmed.  
  
"Here at the steps of Kakariko by mid-day tomorrow. Then we should have enough time to get the antidote and save the Zora OK?"  
  
"Got it."  
  
Link thought for a moment.  
  
"Navi why don't you go with her, she doesn't know how to get everything or where it is."  
  
"Sure Link," she said quietly, "just be careful OK?" Link grinned.  
  
"Me? Not careful? The very thought…" He laughed.  
  
"So back here by noon tomorrow right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
Link decided that it would probably be best to retrieve the stomach sack of the Leever first, after all it was the farthest out of his way and would take the most time. Plus he could take Navi and Loraefin and drop them off at Lake Hylia, killing two birds with one stone. So with this decided he called Epona and the three went racing off down Hyrule field. Once at the massive gates of the lake they parted, Link in one direction, Navi and Loraefin in another.  
  
***  
  
Once again Link found himself at the Gerudo fortress and was greeted warmly by Tiamra and the rest of the Gerudo who at once let him though the gates to the Haunted Wasteland. The sand blew and blurred his vision, but this was no problem for him, he had only traveled this path a dozen times before. Some rouge Leevers stalked him through the clouds of dust, making Link constantly roll to avoid them. Unfortunately these were not the ones to grab though, when he made it to the Desert Colossus then would he be able to complete his task.  
  
"I hate those stupid Leevers," he commented to himself. "Makes this whole thing a lot harder on a person," Link spots the flag markers signifying the entrance to the Colossus and gladly veers toward them. Exhausted from running Link flops down on the steps of the Spirit Temple to rest. Lying back, he curiously looks up at the giant statue on the front of the temple. After a few moments to catch his breath, Link finally got up and started to attend to the task he traveled all this way to do.  
  
First in the order of operations was to cast 'Nayru's Love', a spell that created a protective shield around a person to protect them from harm, very similar to what Ruto had done for her father. Gingerly Link walked off the steps on which he stood and strode out a few paces. Like he had predicted, four Leevers appeared out of the sand and came hurtling toward him at an incredible pace. Link readied his sword and slashed the first Leever to come at him. It shrunk away below the sand; Link started to dig for it. Thankfully for Link Nayru's Love lasted a long time, time enough for him to dig a foot or so below the sand and fish out the Leever's expired body. Dragging it to a safe place was another matter; just calculating Link estimated that this slug-like creature weighed almost two hundred pounds. But thanks to Link's brute strength (and patients) he finally managed to bring it back to the steps of the Spirit Temple.  
  
This part of the task he could do without, he now had to cut the Leever open and locate its stomach wherever that was. As precise as he could be Link sliced the deceased body open, revealing the unpleasant inner organs among other things.  
  
"By the Gods this smells awful!" Link exclaimed as he twitched his nose at the repulsive scent. "It's so strong…and," he coughs, "oh jeez never mind! It just smells bad!" Reluctantly Link sorted his way through the Leever's intestines and other bodily viscera to locate the stomach sack. The sensation was wet and sticky on his fingers. He was surprised to see how elaborate the inside of a Leever actually was, he had to have seen at least twenty different organs inside of the five-foot body in front of him. But within the hour Link's search came to a stop when he had finally located the sack…or at least one of them.  
  
"Oh great," Link moaned irritated, "which one do I take?"  
  
In front of him were four separate stomachs, almost exactly identical. Link picks the largest one and places it inside of the pouch hanging on his back.  
  
"An offering to you Nabooru," Link said comically with an over killed bow. Laughing to himself he turned and started to head back toward the Gerudo Fortress.  
  
***  
  
"OK, over there is an Octarok Loraefin," Navi said in high spirits, "over by where the river feeds into the lake. Just walk over there and when he starts to shoot things at you, reflect them with your shield, kill it, and then poof! That's it! Easy as Deku berry pie."  
  
"You make it sound to easy," Loraefin said cautiously. "I have a feeling it's not going to be as relaxed as I should hope."  
  
"Just block with your shield and you'll be fine," Navi said hoping to give Loraefin some courage. Loraefin took a deep breath.  
  
"OK, I can do this, I will do this."  
  
"That's the spirit!"  
  
"What if that thing swims to me and pulls me under?" Loraefin said in a panicky tone. "Or what if it has friends? Te elreth no barnet dus te'm doona!"  
  
"It won't, trust me," Navi assured her, "and the same to whatever else to said."  
  
Timidly the girl steps into the water. She wasn't prepared for the rate at which the Octarok fired the blasts; she didn't have time to get her shield up. The first shot from the octopus-like creature smacked directly into her arm, knocking her over and into the water. She hissed in pain from the stinging sensation crawling up her forelimb, plus the fact that she was now soaking from head to toe. A second and a third were shot with a similar effect, only this time Loraefin remembered to pick her shield.  
  
"Aim toward the left a little more!" Navi coached from the sidelines. "Come on! You almost got em' that time!"  
  
After several minutes of tennis between Loraefin and the Octarok she was finally successful at striking it down. Slowly she waded out to where to the dead creature floated on the surface of the water. Looking away and closing her eyes tightly shut, Loraefin timidly grabbed onto a loose tentacle that was drifting closest to her. At its slimy touch Loraefin immediately drew back her arm and quickly moved away.  
  
"That's disqueta!" She yelled half laughing at her own squeamishness, "ew!" Again she moved toward the squid and forced herself to hold on, though she dreaded every moment of its oily touch. With much hassle and fuss Loraefin was able to drag the languid body back to the shore. She walked out of the water shaking her hand profusely. "Ew, ew, ew, and yuck!"  
  
Taking out her small dagger that she 'borrowed' from her father, Loraefin carefully started to cut the fleshy purple appendages that were the Octarok's tentacles. She stripped about three of them from the main body and placed them inside a leather bag they had picked up in Kakariko. After, Loraefin threw the rest of the body back into the lake as fish food.  
  
"Well that wasn't so bad," she said sarcastically wiping the slimy mucus off her hands. "Did I ever mention EW!" Loraefin sighed heavily to herself, "what's next on our list of disgusting jobs?"  
  
"Have to go and get a Loach from the Lab," Navi reminded her. Slowly Loraefin trudged up the small knoll and alongside the stone wall of the Lakeside Laboratory. She was about to knock on the door when they spotted a note tacked to it. It read:  
  
Gone silt collecting. Be back at dusk.  
  
---The Professor  
  
   
  
"Well now what are we going to do?" Loraefin asked as she let the note fall back against the door. "Do you think he'll mind if we just take one?"  
  
"I don't think so," Navi said mischievously. They both thought for a moment. Loraefin opened the door and peered in.  
  
The lab was cluttered with many things, fishnets, old beakers and test tubes, none of which Navi and Loraefin were interested in. They sorted through many things, mostly to satisfy curiosity, but also looking for the where about of a 'Hyrule Loach'. There was a fairly large tank in the corner of the room that they had not noticed before and as the two walked over discovered it was filled with just what they were looking for.  
  
"Is this what we want?" Questioned Loraefin with a somewhat odd look on her face.  
  
"That would be a Loach," informed Navi.  
  
Loraefin rolled up her sleeves and reached inside the tank. The fish scattered everywhere to get away from the foreign object in the water. When Loraefin thought she had one its slippery body would slid right through her hands, leaving her frustrated. After many tries she finally nabbed one by its tail, but her grip on it was failing. She wasn't going to let this one get away; she flung her hand back and the Loach went flying out of the water. Loraefin backed up to catch it, but just as she had it in her hands she tripped and fell into the diving pool of water behind her, once again soaking from head to foot. Navi started to laugh insanely.  
  
"Are…are you alright?" She giggled. Loraefin dragged herself out of the mess and disappointedly flopped herself down on the floor.  
  
"Stupid fish," she mumbled to herself. All at once she felt a movement within her and she immediately stood up and started to flail wildly about.  
  
"What? What's wrong?!" Navi asked frightened. Loraefin was now the one that was laughing insanely.  
  
"It's…it's in my shirt!" She laughed. "Get it out! Get it out!" Loraefin reached down inside her clothes and low and behold pulled out a Loach. She smiled, embarrassed, and looked to Navi. "Let's not tell Link about this, OK?"  
  
"Right."  
  
***  
  
Link yelled at the oncoming Biris with the slightest notion that that would scare it away, no such luck. He fired his bow straight into the flying translucent jellyfish; it crashed lifeless to the ground. Making sure that all of the electric charge had been drained Link picked up the now dead Biris and placed it in his bag along side the Leever's stomach. Link had forgotten how hot it was inside Jabu-Jabu's belly, and to top it off the Zora's religious deity had fallen ill to the same menacing disease as well. The black tarnishing globs infiltrated the fleshy walls wherever Link went, covering them like ivy to a cliff. "I'll be glad when I get out of here," Link commented. "There's nothing quite like a day inside a giant fish's stomach."  
  
Hastily Link weaves his way to the mouth of the great beast, happy now that he could finally get out of there. He was almost home free when something fell from the ceiling, splattering over his back and neck. Link stopped in his tracks and fearing the worst reached behind him and pulled off whatever had just fallen on him. When he brought his hand back over it was covered in the black goopy mess that was covering the inside of Jabu-Jabu.  
  
"Great, just great," Link said out loud whipping his hands clean on his tunic. He again reached behind his neck to wipe it clean. Link looked up above at the ceiling just in time to dodge another slimy mess, but to his surprise in doing this, he lost his balance and fell through one of the giant holes in Jabu-Jabu's stomach. He smashed into the ground with a thud right on top of a massive pile of the black slop. Slowly he stood up and groaned from his fall, which was most unexpected.  
  
"Damn it!" He said angrily and leans against the wall to catch his breath for a moment. He didn't bother to dodge another one of the falling black messes since he had already sat in it, which then it fell right on his head. He didn't feel strange now that he had been hit by the black tarnish, so he didn't bother worrying about it, after all, what good would it do? Jabu-Jabu began to rock to and fro gently and Link could hear the fish's stomach growl unsettlingly through the walls of membrane. "Of all the things to happen…" He complained as he started to make his way back up to the 'main floor' as he called it and out of Jabu-Jabu. 


	19. The Same Weakness

Chapter Nineteen:  
  
   
  
The moon shone brightly on Hyrule field as Navi and Loraefin waited patiently, or rather impatiently, in the underbrush. The summer air was warm against the face and the long grass swayed in the breeze. It was about midnight and the two were out trying to catch their last ingredient, a Poe. These ghost creatures were getting to be very scarce in the open field, or anywhere for that matter, but Navi thought it best to stick it out here and Loraefin, with no experience at Poe hunting whatsoever followed her advice.  
  
"How long do we have to wait?" Loraefin asked for about the fifth time.  
  
"As long as it takes, hopefully not to much longer…"  
  
"Good, I'm getting cramps in my legs from sitting in this position."  
  
Crouching in the grass they waited for their prey, like a lioness in wait. After another half-hour though Loraefin gave up at the crouching thing and sat down. She started to busy herself with the long meadow grass, twining them and even occasionally chewing on a few to pass the time. But patients is a virtue and virtues are rewarded. With a cackle and a whirl of dust a Poe appeared in the clearing in front of them.  
  
"Loraefin get up!" Navi alerted her, "it's a Poe!"  
  
"I see it…strange."  
  
Loraefin did her best to try and sneak up on it, but on accident she stepped on a twig that snapped under her weight. The Poe twirled around and shot a flame out of its lantern. The flame, as if it was alive, started to come toward Navi and Loraefin. They ducked out of the way and Loraefin took up a defensive stance that Link had shown her.  
  
"OK Loraefin, you got to be careful about the flames he throws," Navi informed her. "Take any swing you can get on him!"  
  
"Got it."  
  
The Poe started to circle them, dropping the flames all around them. They hovered in the air a few moments and then started to come after the girl and her fairy companion. The Poe floated about them, sniggering in a taunting tone, always out of reach of Loraefin's blade.  
  
"Hey get back here!" She yelled at it hopelessly. Loraefin swung at least a dozen times at it already, but it always eluded it's almost certain death. This game of 'cat and mouse' went on for some time, driving Loraefin to the breaking point. In frustration she picked up a stone and hurled it at the Poe. "Take that you jat kantes!" She yelled, being very unprofessional. The stone struck the Poe without warning and it shriveled away into thin air, only it's glowing flame stayed behind.  
  
"Quick grab it!" Navi shouted. Loraefin took out a small glass jar and placed the defeated Poe inside for the journey back.  
  
***  
  
Navi and Loraefin were already at the arranged meeting spot when Link arrived on the scene. They were casually sitting on the steps of Kakariko; hands on chin and staring blankly at the sky with dazed looks on their faces.  
  
"Halloo!" Link greeted from atop Epona as he came riding closer. "I take it we did well?"  
  
"You better believe it!" Navi said cheerfully fluttering over to him. "We got everything you told us," Link smiled at her.  
  
"Good work. I got my stuff plus I picked up the water from the Fairy Fountain along the way. We're good to go."  
  
"That's a relief," Loraefin said. "Now we can go get the antidote."  
  
Link dismounts and starts to follow Navi and Loraefin up the steps to Kakariko. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and he could feel the sudden urge to vomit. He groaned and steadied himself against the wall. When he looked up everything became blurry for a moment and then came back into focus. Guess my bath didn't solve everything he thought.  
  
"Link are you OK?" Navi flew to his side. "What's the matter?!"  
  
"Do we need to get you to a doctor?" Loraefin asked.  
  
"No, no, I'll be fine…It's nothing."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes," Link forces out a smile. "Come on, let's get going."  
  
With some effort Link manages to pull himself together and starts to walk again, but now Navi was suspicious about the well being of her friend and she stayed close to him. Link never remembered the steps up to Kakariko being to long, or so steep; every step was harder to make. Somehow he forces himself to keep walking, despite his physical discomfort he was experiencing and the sudden urges to vomit.  
  
"Link are you sure your OK?" Navi flew close to whisper in his ear, "you can tell me."  
  
"Yea yea I'm fine really," he said bluffing, a game he was quite good at.  
  
"Are you telling me the truth?"  
  
Link didn't answer the last question he just kept his eyes forward in an attempt to walk straight between the spells of dizziness and blurred vision.  
  
It seemed like forever before they made it back to the old hag's potion shop and Link seemed to just barely make it in without running into a wall. The old hag was waiting behind her desk, stroking her cat and flipping through an aged and tattered book, she didn't look up when the entered.  
  
"Excuse me," Loraefin said as politely as she could, the old woman still did not respond. "Uh…We gathered all of the necessary materials you need to make the antidote," still no response. "Um…hello?" At this point Link was having a hard time just standing up straight, he quivered where he stood and tried to concentrate on what was happening. "Ma'am?" Loraefin continued.  
  
"It appears that your friend there has contracted a disease caused by a very rare black spell," the old woman said not even raising her head from her book. "He will be dead in a matter of days if you don't get him an antidote."  
  
"Link?" Loraefin turns to face him. Sweat started to form on Link's forehead and his skin had lost almost all color completely; Loraefin goes to his side to help support him on his weak legs. "Why didn't you tell us something was wrong you idiot!?" She demanded and then scolded herself. "I should have known something wasn't right when you almost fell over on the steps! I can't believe myself!"  
  
"We need the antidote for the Zora," Link said faintly. "We have the ingredients you need to make the cure. Please hurry…the Zora need it, Hyrule needs it," Link motions Loraefin to take his bag and place it on the counter in front of the old woman; she does and places her bag next to it. The hag looks up from her book and briefly glances inside the two bags.  
  
"Hm…It seems you have collected all of the materials needed to make the antidote…" She glares at them cunningly. "But why have you brought them here?"  
  
"Because you told us to!" Navi intervened. "Don't you remember!?"  
  
"I might…"  
  
Loraefin shrugs with impatience and Link was getting worse by the minute.  
  
"Seven thousand!" Link shouts out.  
  
"Ten," the old hag smiles. Link was becoming short tempered at the arrogance of this woman putting profit before suffering people for her own gain.  
  
"DONE!" He half yells half gasps. The old woman smiles sinisterly and takes the bags into the back room.  
  
"Link are you going to be able to hold on?" Loraefin said letting him sit down on the floor. "You can hold on I know it."  
  
"Just the thing to happen right?" Link smiled with some effort. "Getting sick at the last moment and---"  
  
"The burn marks!" Navi gasps. "Look at them! On his neck!" Loraefin pushes Link's hair out of the way to reveal the wounds on his neck.  
  
"We need to get that antidote Navi," Loraefin said with concern in her voice, "this is getting worse by the minute."  
  
Fretful and impatiently they waited in the front room of the little shop for the woman's return. Clanging and other noises can be heard from behind the red satin curtain with the occasional flash of light and other such things, but after a long and nerve racking wait the old woman reappeared into the front room carrying a large leather flask.  
  
"Here," she said handing it to Loraefin. "Make a broth and pour this into it, those infected should recover within a week or so," graciously Loraefin takes the flask and holds it to her chest.  
  
"Thank you," she says in a way that shows you truly appreciate it.  
  
"I expect my money by the day after tomorrow," the old hag says without emotion and then returns back to the other room. Loraefin walks over to Link and kneels down beside him still clutching the flask.  
  
"We got it," she smiles with a sigh of relief. "Det elreth ti".  
  
  


	20. Smoke Signals

Chapter Twenty:  
  
"We need help here!" Loraefin shouts from the entrance of Zora's Domain with Link slumped against her shoulder. "Quick somebody! Link needs help! Kresca su!"  
  
The doctors took over from here, taking Link off of Loraefin's tired shoulder and carrying him to a nearby bed in one of the chambers hidden behind the stone walls. Loraefin gives them the antidote and repeats the instructions the old hag in Kakariko gave her. One of the doctors then gave it to a nurse and ordered her to go and prepare some broth for the ill; the nurse speeds away.  
  
The symptoms were getting worse; Link's vision persisted on failing him each time blacking out for a longer period of time. He was hot and feverish and now the burn-like marks had started to appear on most of his body. Someone hands Link a bowl and he immediately leans over the bed and vomits into it.  
  
"This is the worst case we've seen yet," the doctor that Link, Navi and Loraefin had met earlier said. "He must have been directly exposed to the infliction. Nurse bring more blankets!"  
  
Loraefin and Navi are shooed out of the room while the doctors and their nurses try to stabilize Link. The two pace up and down the room, waiting impatiently for any news at all, but wait in vain. A nurse did inform them that the broth with the antidote had been administered to all of the patients and they were doing well. At least now Navi and Loraefin could breath a little easier, the Zora were out of danger, but what of Link? A familiar figure appeared beside them, the two didn't notice her at first until she said something.  
  
"Link is going to be OK isn't he?" Ruto asked with much concern in her voice. She swayed back and forth where she stood, in a trance of some sort with eyes fixed against the door to Link's room.  
  
"He'll pull through, I know it," Navi comforted Ruto and herself. "Link's been through worse than this."  
  
"Yes he has," she says solemnly and then turns to Loraefin looking her over briefly. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before." Loraefin stands up and extends her hand to Zora woman before her. "My name is Ruto, Princess of the Zora and Sage of Water."  
  
"Um…My name's Loraefin, but you can call me Fin er…I guess," Loraefin said shyly.  
  
"Just call me Ruto," She says with a wide smile and takes a seat beside her. "Are you a friend of Link's?" Loraefin looks at her for a moment.  
  
"Um…yeah, I guess I am."  
  
Just then a doctor appears from behind the door and motions them inside. Link was sitting up in bed when the three entered, sipping the hot broth the nurse had just given him. His color had returned and his vision had been restored to him, how long they didn't know. When he saw them enter he put a smile on his face and placed the empty bowl off to the side.  
  
"Hey," Link said, his voice still weak.  
  
"Hey yourself," Loraefin smiled as she, Ruto and Navi stood by his bed. "You feeling better?"  
  
Link leaned back against the pillow, "Yea, I'm fine. The Zora?"  
  
"Fine Link thanks to you," Ruto bent down and kissed him in thanks; Link blushed.  
  
"Well I had some help," Link said as he took Loraefin's hand and squeezed it gently. "She deserves just as much credit."  
  
"You're the resident Hero," Loraefin laughed, "I just helped out a bit at the end."  
  
The doctor came back into the room. "You should be going now, Link needs his rest." Navi and Loraefin give Link one last smile and leave the room. Once everyone is out Ruto and Link are left alone; Ruto kneels down by the bedside.  
  
"I really want to thank you Link," She said softly as she placed her pale blue hand on that of his flesh colored one. "You saved my people."  
  
"It's my duty as the Hero of Time to protect Hyrule," Link said, "it was nothing."  
  
"Well it means a lot to me anyway, duty or not," Ruto gives his hand a squeeze. "I'll let you get your rest now. I'll be returning to the Sacred Realm once I'm sure my people are fully recovered; I'll say hi to everyone for you, Saria will be happy to hear from you. Get better soon." She leaves the room and Link drifts off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that the Zora were safe.  
  
***  
  
After another day of aimlessly wandering around Zora's Domain Loraefin started to get homesick. She missed her family and her friends; she missed Lolita telling her about bizarre dreams she had had, she strangely missed Marivi and Staceana's constant bickering, and she missed Megeara. All she really did was get in the way of the doctors most of the time, always underfoot she thought to herself. Link slept a lot so Loraefin had only Navi for company really, (Ruto left earlier the day before back to the Sacred Realm) which of course she didn't mind. Loraefin, though she loved her newfound freedom, longed to go back home with the people she loved and cared about, but that of course she never mentioned to anyone.  
  
"This soup is really good, but I don't think I want to know what's in it," Loraefin mentioned out loud to Navi as she sat on the cold ground overlooking the central lake.  
  
"You don't," Navi teased her.  
  
"Oh," Loraefin let what was in her spoon drop back into the bowl, but a few minutes later she picked it up again and continued to eat. Navi could tell that Loraefin was becoming restless because she too longed to get out Zora's Domain as well. As Link was incapacitated and they both weren't doing any good there Navi suggested this:  
  
"Why don't we go out to Hyrule Field and get some fresh air for a little while; we're not any help here."  
  
Navi seemed to read Loraefin's mind.  
  
It was mid-day outside and the sun shone brilliantly on the fresh green grass of Hyrule Field. The birds sang and a breeze blew in from the west, sending a cool current of air over everything. Loraefin ran out and spun around with arms wide open until she became so dizzy that she almost fell over. She looked quite funny stumbling around the grass laughing hysterically, Navi joined her in her laughter as she fluttered about in the open sun. It was amazing what a little sunshine and fresh air will do to a person.  
  
Loraefin settled herself down in the grass and started to make a little crown of flowers like she and her friends in Murieope did. One flower after another she knitted into the frame she made out of the longer grass and low and behold a beautiful floral piece was made for her head. Loraefin placed it on top of her brown hair with childlike ecstasy, not bothered by any worries or troubles, a free spirit. She and Navi laughed and talked away a good part of the hour with frivolous chatter about nothing in particular.  
  
"Look at the clouds over Death Mountain," Navi brought to Loraefin's attention.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"Don't they look interesting?"  
  
"Yea, I guess they do," Loraefin replied now rolling over on her back. "We should probably check in to see if they need any help, not that they probably do."  
  
Navi flitted about and then landed on the tip of Loraefin's bare feet.  
  
"You're probably right, we should head back in," Navi agreed. Loraefin stood up and started to walk back to Zora's Domain when Navi gasped suddenly, "Loraefin look!" 


	21. Of Ash and Darkness

Chapter Twenty-one:  
  
Link sat up in bed. He could feel something was wrong deep down inside, Hyrule was in danger. Groggily Link stood up, his head spun and in the end he was back on the bed. A nurse came over to him and told him he shouldn't try and move, to keep his strength. Link politely refused her, grabbed his weapons, put on his tunic, and tried to make it to the door without falling over from nausea. A doctor caught him trying to leave and asked him where he thought he was going, Link replied:  
  
"To save Hyrule."  
  
The doctor thought he was delirious and told the nurse to get him back to bed. Link's head felt like there was a vice grip on it, but he had to leave and see what was happening outside.  
  
A bright light flew into Zora's Domain; it was Navi. She headed straight toward Link and halted in front of his face.  
  
"What's wrong?" He said in a concerning tone.  
  
Navi gasped for air. "Link, outside…trouble…big, big trouble!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Link was having a hard time concentrating on what Navi was saying.  
  
"Dragon…three heads…fire…Loraefin…" She continued in her broken speech. That was all Link needed to hear, he took off running (as best he could) with Navi following him closely.  
  
When they reached Hyrule Field Link stopped in his tracks. Before him stood a gigantic beast, none like he had seen before. It was a three headed dragon like Navi had said, but Link had no idea it was this big! Each head looked more threatening than the last, their long necks arched and curled while each mouth spat a blazing fire. Its eyes shown through its dark skin like the moon in an empty sky and its phantom wings were flared menacingly. The dragon's three heads snarled and spit ash and flame as it made it's way toward Hyrule Castle.  
  
"Navi where is Fin!?" Link said in alarm for she was no where to be seen.  
  
"I…I don't know! She sent me to come and get you!"  
  
They scanned quickly for her but she wasn't there. Pushing all of the nausea and pain down as far as he could, Link started to run toward the monster with his sword unsheathed. In the midst of his sprint though he tripped on something hidden in the grass, he bent over to pick it up. In his hand was a floral crown, crushed and broken to pieces. He thought nothing of it and dropped it back onto the ground and continued toward the advancing dragon. Navi spotted it and her heart sank; something had gone wrong.  
  
One of the three heads spotted him; the great beast turns around to face this new challenger. With a mighty roar the dragon let out a wave of fire in Link's direction which he skillfully dodged. The monsters reared up and charged with all its might, spreading its wings out and right before reaching him took off into the air.  
  
With a few great swoops of its wings the dragon had climbed up into the sky which put Link at the disadvantage. A fireball was then released. It hurtled down from the heavens and crashed against the ground with such a force that it knocked Link down.  
  
"Where did it come from Navi?!" Link yelled looking for his fairy companion. Navi darted to Link from where the broken crown lie.  
  
"It's from Death Mountain and…" She began to say.  
  
Barreling forward the malevolent beast arched its back and started to plummet down to the earth.  
  
"Link look out!" Navi shouted. Link ducked out of the way, but not before he slashed the underbelly of the beast on its assent back up into the atmosphere.  
  
No roar, no nothing. The dragon was undamaged; the sword had cut through it as if it was…smoke.  
  
"The whole thing is made up of smoke Navi!" Link called out. Navi flew to him again.  
  
"That's what I was trying to tell you!" She said. "It came from the clouds over Death Mountain! It's completely made up of smog and ash!"  
  
"Well then how do I destroy it?!" He yells back.  
  
"I don't know!!"  
  
The monster was preparing for a second assault. Each head opened their mouth wide and released three gigantic walls of flame! All around Link was fire; there was nowhere to run to! The fumes made his dizzy again and all of his old aches and pains seemed to resurface. Link fell to one knee and raised his arm to shield his face from the immense heat; there was no time for the Goron tunic, no time to do anything he thought. Was this going to be the end? Is this how he was to leave this world, to die in a sea of flames with no way out?  
  
Coughing and choking Link stumbled to the ground, but as he fell onto his chest he felt something jam into his side…his ocarina. The smoke stung his eyes and nose and the heat was so unbearable he could hardly breath. With his last bit of strength he managed to place his lips on the mouth of the ocarina and play 'The Song of Storms' before he passed out from the heat and fumes.  
  
A cold wind blew and from the darkened sky came a surge or rain that poured across the land of Hyrule. Thunder boomed and lightning crashed above the burning field as the rain extinguished the smoldering flames. The smoke dragon growled an unearthly siren and crashed down to the ground, stunned by the water. Within a few minutes[1] its body of ash and smoke had melted away into the dirt leaving nothing but a black puddle to remember it by.  
  
Navi called out to Link begging him to get up; there was no answer. The rain had started to subside and the wind had stopped to little more than a breeze. The battle seemed to be won, but the victor of the war was yet to be seen. Slowly the puddle of ash stirred itself; it rose from out of the mud and the ground began to steam. Navi didn't take notice of what was going on behind her as the creature came forward to finish the young hero…  
  
Loraefin woke with a mouthful of dirt. She was wet, cold, and stiff as she lifted herself from the ground and shook her head.  
  
"What happened? Dus…" She thought out loud.  
  
Over the little crest of her hill Loraefin saw the disheveled body of Link lying on the ground. He didn't move, no sign that he was living, she feared the worst had happened. Loraefin also spotted the creature heading straight for him! She franticly looked around for her sword, which must have fallen out when the dragon sideswiped her. She found it a few feet away. Grabbing it and reaching for her shield Loraefin ran toward the monster as fast as she could.  
  
The rain had caused the volcanic ash to solidify into a hard substance, so in this way the revitalizing rain that had saved them may have done just the opposite. Out of the giant mass of black and gray muck rose the three heads and shadowy wings of the former body. Each roared a menacing scream and flared wildly about with the certain taste of victory foaming at the mouth. Loraefin came rushing in between the monster and Link with sword ready.  
  
"Loraefin!" Navi yelled with relief.  
  
She turned halfway around and smiled a reassuring smile at Navi before she rushed at the Dragon. It saw her obvious and inexperienced advance and swatted her aside with one swipe of its thorny tail. The impact of the blow sent Loraefin hurling back knocking the wind out of her.  
  
The fall had left her bruised and badly scratched on one side of her arm and face, but the worst was a shallow gash that ran up the side of her leg in which small trickles of blood flowed freely down. The blood surprised her as she gingerly ran her fingers through it, hands trembling. The tips of her fingers were wet with fresh red blood as she brought them up close to her eyes trying to see what she wanted to and not what was. The fall had shredded her pants and the torn pieces were now mingling with her deep, rich blood, soaking up and staining the fabric. Loraefin was stunned. This was her blood. The sight of it made her go weak and she leaned on her sword to support her. The young girl's eyes shot upward as she stared at the fearsome beast closing in on her. Her breath quickened, her heart raced, she had never felt this kind of fear grip her. She felt paralyzed as the dragon gazed upon her, it's dark and shimmering eyes gleaming from amidst the coarse look of its skin.  
  
Link's voice spoke in her head, almost so quietly she couldn't hear it. Of course it was her imagination and not Link, but Loraefin seemed to realize what she had to do. She again stood up and rushed the beast, her leg no longer bothering her. This time one of the three heads opened its great mouth and sent a blaze of fire in front of Loraefin's path. She halted with the sudden heat being forced upon her, but due to the wet ground it quickly extinguished. The dragon now growled as it charged at the young girl who was looking around with a disoriented gaze on her face. Before she knew what hit her Loraefin felt herself being lifted from the ground. The beast had flung her into the air with one mighty scoop of its head and now the girl found herself falling back down to earth…right on top of the dragon's back!  
  
Link heard screaming and woke up. It took a few seconds for his vision to get back into focus but he knew something was happening. When he could see clearly again Link saw the monstrous beast flying back up into the heavens…a little brown spot blended in with the blackness of its back.  
  
Loraefin dug her sword into the dragon's now solid hind and held so tightly onto the handle that her knuckles were turning white; she was not going to let go. The black creature roared in agony and tried everything it could to dislodge the sharp object from its back. The roar was painful to the ears, but that wasn't the only problem the young girl faced. Loraefin shook all over from fright that she was going to fall and die, the mental pictures kept flashing in her mind. The dragon's speed began to increase and with it Loraefin's fear. It's mighty wings flapped on either side of her, climbing higher and higher into the air. Suddenly Loraefin felt the beast's weight shift, it had begun to barrel roll and flip upside down. Loraefin's sword slipped out from the ash flesh and with it she to began to fall.  
  
Link saw her falling helplessly from the sky; she flew faster and faster to the ground, her voice muffled and lost under the dragon's clamorous thunder.  
  
"Loraefin!" Link yelled.  
  
The ground was getting closer and closer and impending death breathed down Loraefin's neck. She screamed one last scream before she came crashing down into Zora's River. The spray created by the fall flew twenty feet from the bank, soaking anything within reach. Link ran over to where she had landed expecting anyone would have been killed by such a fall. Choking and flailing Loraefin floundered in the water.  
  
Loraefin was in a state of shock. She could feel her heart pounding in her head, a throbbing pain that got stronger and more excruciating with every beat. The cold water hit like a slap in the face. When she had struck down her whole body felt like it had been driven through with millions of sharp needles; the pain and the cold caused her body to become numb. Loraefin couldn't breath, couldn't think, the only thing she could do was let her instincts take over. She tried to swim, but couldn't see where to swim. Flailing in all directions, disoriented, confused, and drowning, she started to sink below the water. Her legs stopped working, her arms were to tired to move anymore, and the cold had set in. She had survived the fall to drown in the river. Link dove in and tried to grab hold of her. He grasped a limp arm and brought Loraefin's body to the surface. Link dragged the body ashore; she wasn't breathing, her lips were turning blue, and her face was flushed. Her wet hair was strewn across her face; Link pushed it back, opened her mouth, and attempted to bring her back to life. With each breath he put into her Link would pound on her chest to restart her heart, each time he was more certain that she was not going to wake.  
  
"Come on…Come on!" He yelled pounding at her chest. "Breath damn it! Breath!"  
  
Loraefin jerked forward with a gasp and clutched at her heart, which was now beating. She panted for breath and attempted to regain her senses.  
  
"Are you all right?!" Link demanded. Loraefin stared at him from beneath her mass of wet hair. She tried to talk, but nothing came out, she only gasped some more and leaned on Link coughing.  
  
"Stay here," Link ordered extricating Loraefin from himself and ran back to the battle.  
  
Loraefin tried to stand up, but her legs were still too weak to hold her. Shaking she fell back down to the ground and watched Link run out of sight.  
  
The beast of ash had landed on Hyrule Field…It was waiting for Link. It stood it's ground about one hundred feet away from the young hero, arching its back preparing for a fight to the death. Link was also preparing, he had to be fast and think on his feet; this enemy was not going to be so easy to bring down. They stood facing one another; both knowing that only one would come out alive.  
  
The beast made the first move, shooting one of it's three heads out as if a battering ram and then whipped it's thorny tail around in a attempt to knock Link down. Link dodged both attempts and, with his window of opportunity, ran in and started to strike furiously at the monster. The beast growled, enraged at being struck at, and released spouts of flame from its nostrils in anger. One of the massive necks bent down and sent Link tumbling backward head over feet. It hissed and took up a defensive stance, pacing and pawing the ground, it waited for the Hero of Time to once again stand and face it.  
  
Link regrouped and studied his opponent. "A dragon made of ash and smoke caused by the black spell that Ganondorf left in the crater…" He thought. The fire-breathing monster reared up and charged Link, snarling wildly as it did so. With a strong flap of it's wings the dragon sent an enormous gust of wind over the field as it charged again. On this offensive Link met the beast halfway and, dodging his flame, struck it head on. Link retreated back and left the huge winged lizard to figure out what had just happened before he came into strike again. The dragon shook all three of its heads and roared savagely. As Link was coming in to strike again the beast spun around and smashed Link with its tail.  
  
Link clutched his arm, which was now bleeding, but not badly. The hard ash had scraped his face and legs so they were now bruised and red. The blow made Link's head spin with dizziness and had knocked the wind out of his lungs. He looked up and saw the glow that was forming in the dragon's nostrils; it was preparing to fire. Quickly Link took out his bow and, armed with ice arrows, shot at the middle head, as it was about to send a wave of destruction upon Link.  
  
The ice arrow met the flame halfway and froze it dead in its tracks. The baneful creature actually appeared surprised, but it quickly regrouped and one of the other heads spouted fire. Link rolled out of the way and shot another ice arrow, but this time with not as much accuracy for it lodged itself in the left flank of the beast, freezing the ash solid. The Dragon floundered where he stood and he beat his mighty wings against the ground for balance. It fired at Link and made another attempt to squish him with it's tail. The monster hammered its massive black wings into the ground and roared so ferociously that Link's heart skipped a beat.  
  
From her spot next to Zora's River, Loraefin could hear the battle but could not see it. Her leg had stopped bleeding, but her head throbbed terribly. Feebly she rose, dragging her gear behind her.  
  
Once again Link fired, but his time the beast dodged the arrow and it sailed past it. The dragon, despite it's frozen hind, was not giving up without a fight. Link briefly looked over in the direction off Hyrule Market and saw a swarm of people gathered on the bridge, watching his plight from afar. Navi ducked around Link's blond head shouting encouraging remarks.  
  
"Come on Link you can do it!" She yelled above the din.  
  
At this moment Loraefin came over the crest of the hill. She fumbled with the hilt of her sword, still shaking from fright. The dragon separated her and Link and Link could not see where she stood behind the brute's gigantic wing. Loraefin rushed forward and brought her sword down violently on the dragon's tail, cutting it in half. At this the beast writhed in agony and one of its three heads arched around to see what had caused it such great pain. It turned and flared out one of its wings at the girl and then started to charge her. Link couldn't see what had distracted the beast, but he was thankful for whatever it was. One of the giant thorns on the lizard's back moved with the motion of the body and Link caught a quick glimpse of the diversion.  
  
The monster came rushing forward, letting out its terrible piercing scream that made Loraefin shudder even more. She felt so weak, she didn't know what she was thinking when she struck the beast's tail, she was no match for him! And now the creature was upon her and there was no route to escape to. She met its eyes and they seemed to go right through her with its icy glare; she froze.  
  
"Loraefin, get out of the way!" Link yelled, trying to get over to help her, but to no avail. The dragon blocked him and one of its three heads made sure he didn't pass. He had to get that monster away from her somehow! Link took out another ice arrow and aimed it at the dragon's right flank and fired. This made the beast return his attention to Link. It turned around and charged so quickly that Link was unprepared for it. The center head rammed into him, knocking the sword from his grasp. Now he was in trouble.  
  
Loraefin's senses returned to her after a few moments and she immediately saw the peril that Link was facing. She saw his sword a few yards away from him and he knocked to the ground.  
  
"Oh no," she said to herself and felt her heart jump to her throat. Navi darted about Link's body, yelling at him to get up. The dragon came in slowly, sure that he was victorious. Link moaned and tried to raise himself, but he felt to weak. He rolled over onto his back and was met by the horrible image of his death drawing near. His pulse quickened and his breath grew sharp as the beast raised its mammoth claws above him to finish the young hero off. Link knew there was no time to get out of the way and as he saw the great palm of the dragon rushing down upon him he held his breath, unable to see his sword anywhere. Loraefin rushed in, wielding Link's heavy sword as best as her hands could grip it, and shoved the blade up through the creature's black, crude fleshy palm. The beast roared in agony as Loraefin stood defensively over Link, who had now opened his eyes.  
  
"Loraefin?" Link exclaimed.  
  
The great black dragon stripped of its tail and with two frozen patches on its backside, screamed and roared again with its newly damaged hand. Link took the cumbersome sword from Loraefin and delivered the final blows, striking and severing each head from its body. The dragon flared its wings and flailed out in all directions, but it was of no use. Defeated finally, it sank into the ground, mingling with the mud and singed blades of grass.  
  
"Whew," Link said to himself as he watched the dragon disappear into the mud. He looked over too Loraefin, who appeared exhausted but happy, and smiled. "I thought you said you couldn't kill things," he said. Loraefin looks back at him but doesn't smile at this remark, but instead gives him an upset glance when she realized what she had done. The ground hissed and steamed where the great dragon had fallen. The grass was scorched and in some places no longer existent, even a nearby tree had the leaves completely burned away from its branches. The Hero of Time walks over to the battered girl and places a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you OK?" He asks. She turns to him and nods.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she replies.  
  
"That was a pretty crazy stunt you pulled," Link added sternly, "what were you thinking?"  
  
Loraefin first smiles to herself and then at him and says, "rou caneth vu hero tes sethun." And with a bigger grin, "you can't be a hero if you're perfectly sane."  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, and then at the pile of ash in front of them with a sigh with relief. Another enemy, another victory Link thought. The sky began to clear and blue could once again be seen.  
  
AN: Well that's the end of 'part one'. I wrote this a LONG time ago and as a reread it, I found the story line okay, but very, very typical. Oh well, what are you going to do? ( Had to introduce the characters somehow, right? The stories will get better as they go along (or at least I think they do *grins sheepishly*) so no flames please! I hope Loraefin isn't Mary-sueish or anything, I tried! Really! And see, I told you, no romance.  
  
  
  
  
  
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